


When The Sunlight Dies

by ZTX



Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Album), DangerWho, Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2014-02-07
Packaged: 2017-12-31 17:09:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 61,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1034216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZTX/pseuds/ZTX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to 'Ghosts In The Sun', The Doctor is called back to the deserts of 2019 when a mysterious, metal menace begins turning Killjoys into mechanical monsters…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

** Prologue **

_"I have been waiting for you...my entire life."_

She stood in front of him, hands linked with his; her delicate face painted like a porcelain doll. The lengthy, white train of her satin dress cascaded down the red-carpeted steps like a waterfall. Her veil was pinned in place by tiny, ivory florettes.

 _"And I don't mean a girl 'like' you, I mean_ you _, Bev. Just you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."_

She giggled at that; her warm, brown eyes glittering with tears as he turned to the pastor with a cheeky grin.

 _"So yeah. You bet your ass_ _'I do'."_

_**"Poison! Poison, wake up!"** _

**-** _**California - 2019 - September-** _

Party Poison jumped as he opened his eyes, finding himself not in a church, but instead, lying on a dry-rotting bench in the run down Diner he and his friends called 'home'.

Startled, he glanced around, idly pulling up at the scarf around his neck,

"What? What is it?"

Fun Ghoul was standing over him, a look of despair on his usually cheery face,

"It's _bad_ , man..."

The red head frowned in confusion as his attention turned to the sorrowful sounding DJ chirping through their radio,

_**"...had a CLAP with an Exterminator that went all Costa Rica..."** _

~ø~

They sped through the desert; Fun Ghoul shifting uncomfortably in his seat as they made their way to Route Guano,

"Dude, slow down a little."

"No, fuck you. You don't get to tell me to slow down. Not tonight."

They peeled a little ways off the road, the headlights falling on a pair of BLI issue body bags lying beside an enormous crater.

Fun Ghoul swallowed hard as they pulled to a stop,

"There it is..."

Without a word, Party Poison threw off his seatbelt and stepped out of the car; heart growing heavy as he eyed the two sacks in despair. He shook his head as he approached them, eyes beginning to cloud with tears,

"No..."

Stepping out as well, Fun Ghoul quickly took out his raygun and glanced around,

"Careful. There could still be more out here..."

Poison ignored him and knelt down beside one of the bags; reaching up with a shaking hand to unzip it. His eyes landed on Kobra Kid's pale face and he bit his lip; bowing his head,

" _Fuck_..."

Ghoul hurriedly made his way over, his stomach dropping as he saw the body,

"Shit..."

Shaking his head, he ran his free hand through his hair and stepped over toward the crater. Glancing down into it, he frowned, raising an eyebrow curiously,

"Hey, Poison...c'mere and look at this."

Distraught and disoriented, Poison climbed to his feet and trudged over to the shorter man, a frown crossing his face,

"What the hell...?"

At the centre of the hole seemed to be a pod of somesort. It was long and silver, and all around it, the ground was littered with Draculoid masks. Fun Ghoul shook his head,

"That must be the satellite D was talking about on the radio."

"What satellite?"

The dark-haired man swallowed hard,

"The, uh...the one he asked us to check out. You were asleep so he asked Kid and Jet-"

Poison's eyes widened at this, angrily giving Fun Ghoul a shove as he shrieked,

"They _what_!? Why the _fuck_ didn't you get me up-!?"

"Cause, dude, they didn't wanna wake you," the shorter man squeaked in defence,

"Not with...you know..."

He motioned to the scarf around Poison's neck.

With a growl, the red head readjusted it and snorted,

"That's not even the fucking point. You shoulda got me up! The four of us...they would have had a fighting chance!"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay," Ghoul began, taking a few steps back as he put his hands up,

"We're just trying to look after you, since you don't seem to wanna do that yourself!"

They both grew quiet after that.

Finally, Party Poison shook his head and coughed to clear his throat,

"Let's just take 'em home. Give 'em a proper burial."

"Yeah," Fun Ghoul agreed, sniffling softly as he wiped his nose.

As they turned to gather up their fallen friends, the two men froze; gaping in shock as they found Kobra Kid standing straight up from his body bag.

Nearby, what they assumed to be Jet Star's body bag was struggling to right itself; wriggling and writhing like a worm.

Fun Ghoul crossed himself quickly, his eyes wide as he gaped at the corpse standing before them,

"Holy _shit_ -!"

Poison shook his head, his voice a soft breath as he gazed at the blonde man in wonder,

"Kid...?"

Kobra Kid's face was completely blank. He stood rigid in posture and after a moment, pointed a finger at the two of them, his eyes devoid of emotion,

**"You will be upgraded."**

The two of them quietly exchanged confused glances. Suddenly, a swarm of small, mechanical bugs poured out from Kid's body bag, and Fun Ghoul grabbed Poison by the arm,

" _Jesus-_!"

Losing his balance, he tumbled backward into the crater; dragging the neon-haired man down with him. They came to a stop at the base of the hole, Poison groaning as he pushed himself up,

"What the hell...?"

He glanced up to see that Kobra Kid was now standing at the crater's edge, glaring down at them silently. Jet Star had finally made it upright by this point and joined him at the edge; his jerking movements quite comical for a walking body bag.

Fun Ghoul shook his head, glancing over at Poison in fright,

"I-I-I don't get it, dude. D said they were _dust_! And he ain't _ever_ wrong...!"

"Well, it looks like this time, he _was_ ," Poison whispered; unable to look away from the sight of his friend's menacing glare.

"But how are they even alive," the shorter man squeaked frantically,

"Are they fuckin' zombies, or what!?"

A loud fizzing sounded behind them and both men spun around; quickly drawing their guns. Out from the pod stepped a man dressed in all white; a strange, metal apparatus glued to his face. He moved as robotically as Kid and Jet, his eyes just as dead,

**"You will be upgraded."**

More of these robotic men stepped out from the pod behind him, and the two men looked to each other in horror.

 **-** _**Elsewhere in time and space-** _

"Well, now that that's all taken care of," the Doctor sighed as he rounded the console toward his petite companion,

"Where do you wanna go next?"

Clara shrugged as she folded her arms,

"You still haven't taken me to Vegas. Kind of got distracted by that sinking submarine."

"Ah, that's right, we did a bit, didn't we," he began, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Wagging a finger in the air, he smirked and jogged around the console, slapping away at the controls,

"Vegas it is, then!"

The shrill ringing of a phone interrupted his thoughts and he jumped, nodding shortly to the woman,

"Clara, could you get that for me...?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, shaking her head,

"Get what?"

"The phone, get the phone."

Frowning, she rounded the console and stared at it blankly,

"You mean _this_ phone?"

"Do you see any other phones I could be referring to?"

Snorting, she shook her head,

"It's not ringing."

The Doctor frowned as he looked up at her,

"What? Of course it is! Don't you hear it?"

"No," she shook her head, picking it up from the receiver and shaking it,

"See? Not ringing."

With an annoyed growl, he marched over to her and snatched it from her hand,

"Hello?"

He paused, glancing at her nervously as he set it back down,

"So, it isn't."

The ringing sounded again and he picked it up a second time,

"Who is it!?"

She glanced around, having heard it now as well, and followed the sound toward the door,

"I think it's coming from outside."

Slapping his hand over the receiver, he turned to her in confusion,

"What's coming from outside?"

"The _ringing_ ," she repeated, shaking her head,

"I think it's coming from outside."

He frowned as he marched to the door and opened it, a strong burst of air meeting him as he stuck his head out into the time vortex. The ringing sounded again, much louder this time, and he rolled his eyes,

" _Again_ ," reaching into the box on the outside of the TARDIS, he let out an exasperated sigh,

"This one isn't even _real_...!"

He picked up the receiver and pulled it inside with him, sounding slightly exasperated as he answered,

"Hello?"

_**"Doc! We got problems!"** _

His eyes widened at the sound of the frantic voice on the other end and he leaned over, grabbing hold of the railing as he felt his legs go weak. Clara frowned at this and started toward him,

"Doctor? Are you all right?"

 _ **"Doc,"**_ the caller continued, his shouting getting louder as gun shots sounded in the background,

_**"I'm not fuckin' around! Get your skinny ass back here, now! We got issues!"** _

The Doctor frowned as he pulled an aged letter from his pocket, one addressed to 'Doc' and he swallowed hard. Clara stepped up to him, shaking her head in concern,

"Doctor? Who is it? Who are you talking to?"

He looked at her, eyes wide as his hearts began pounding in fear and excitement.

 

_**"A ghost."** _


	2. Chapter 2

** It Was A Dark And Stormy Night **

The TARDIS landed outside of a shabby looking Diner and the Doctor quickly jumped out, Clara trailing at his heels. The sky was dark and the wind was violent. She winced as the sand kicked up and hit her in the eye, furiously rubbing it away,

"Where are we? What is this place?"

"California! 2019."

"And _what_ are we doing here exactly?"

He swallowed hard as he stepped up to the door. With a deep breath, he went to knock; a sigh escaping him. Clara frowned as she reached him, finally having gotten the sand out of her eye,

"Doctor, what is it? What's wrong?"

He closed his eyes, hearts dropping as he whispered softly to himself,

"I shouldn't be here...I shouldn't interfere..."

Turning back to her, he shook his head; his voice soft and sorrowful,

"We...we need to go. We can't be here. This...this isn't right."

The dark-haired woman nodded; a nervous smile crossing her lips,

"Okay...let's go, then."

As he began to step forward, the door shot open behind him and a hand reached out. It grabbed him by the back of his jacket and dragged him inside. The Doctor let out a yelp as he reached for her,

"Clara!"

Clara jumped, her eyes wide in surprise as she hurried into the dark after him,

"Doctor!"

She was met with the barrel of a bright yellow gun and the angriest, hazel eyes she'd ever seen. Swallowing hard, she stepped back a few paces and took a deep breath; slowly putting her hands up,

"Doctor...?"

Quickly, the Doctor shot up from the floor and stepped between them; waving the neon-haired man down,

"Whoa! Michael, whoa! Easy! _Easy_!"

The red head swallowed hard, glancing between him and the woman,

"Who the fuck is this? Is she one of _them_!?"

"' _One of them_ '," the Doctor frowned, shaking his head furiously,

"No, Michael, she's with _me_! Now, what are you talking about? One of _who_?"

"The fucking _pod people_ ," he shouted again, shaking the gun toward her,

"Comin' out of that crater... talkin' like the fuckin' _Borg_ -"

"Doctor, _what_ is he talking about," Clara swallowed nervously, keeping an eye on the gun aimed at her head.

The Doctor stepped up to the unsettled man with a deep sigh and cautiously placed his hand over the nose of the gun,

"Just calm down, Michael. _Breathe._ Now, what is it, what's happened?"

Glaring at the woman a few seconds more, he finally lowered the gun, Clara letting out a relieved sigh as the Doctor took the weapon away from him.

The neon-haired man then began breaking down, his eyes filling with tears as he ran his hands up through his hair,

"Kid and Jet...they got Kid and Jet...and they tried to get Ghoul, but I..."

"You what," the Doctor shook his head, grabbing him gently by the shoulders,

"Michael, what did you do?"

"Poison...!"

They both turned back, the Doctor stepping around him as his eyes fell on a young girl. She was kneeling beside a small, dark-haired man; tears in her eyes as he let out a strained whimper. The Doctor straightened at the sight of his battered body, shocked at the sight of the blood and burn marks that covered his torso. There was a deep cut on the left side of his face and it bled profusely.

Poison hurried over to him and knelt down; glancing up at the Doctor with pleading eyes,

"I thought I could get it off'a him, so I...but then it..."

Ghoul let out another whimper and weakly grabbed at Poison's arm, drawing his attention.

He was in so much pain.

Clara gasped as she stepped around the Doctor to see what was happening, and lightly covered her mouth.

Turning back to the Doctor, Poison swallowed hard,

"Help him, Doc... _please._ Help him."

~ø~

Clara eyed the fiery-haired man cautiously as they sat around the console room, waiting for the Doctor to return. After a few moments, he came in from the hall, Girl rising to her feet with hopeful eyes. Wiping his hands of blood, the Doctor sighed and turned a disapproving glare to Party Poison,

"You're lucky I actually _know_ my way around an operating table...any later and he would have been done for."

Poison coughed harshly as he rose to his feet, scratching idly at the houndstooth scarf around his neck,

"Is he, uh...is he gonna be okay?"

"Depends," the Doctor threw the blood-soaked towel onto the railing,

"You plan on shooting him again?"

"I didn't have a _choice_ , Doc-"  
"Yes, you _did_. There's _always_ a choice."

"Oh, _really_ ," the man spat back, eyes narrowing to slits,

"So, leaving _**Bev and Pete**_ was a _choice_ , now? Is _that_ what you're tellin' me?"

Clara glanced back and forth between them as silence fell over the room. The tension between them was so thick, she could have cut it with a knife.

The Doctor sighed deeply, and shaking his head, stepped over to the console.

He turned and leaned back against it, folding his arms across his chest,

"What happened, then? Don't leave anything out. And start from the _top_."

The red head nodded, his voice soft as he spoke,

"Okay..."

-ø-

_**We heard that Kid and Jet had got popped in a really bad clap out on Route Guano...Ghoul said they were checking out some kind of satellite for D. So, as per my style, I dragged him out there with me to go tan some Drac hide. But when we got there...they were already dust...or so we thought...** _

_Poison cursed as the mechanical monsters came marching toward them; grabbing Ghoul by the arm,_

_"Go! Run!"_

_The dark-haired man nodded as they ran for the other side of the crater and began climbing out; Poison firing at the robotic Dracs as they followed close behind. Reaching the top, they found themselves under attack by Kobra Kid and Jet Star, now freed from his body bag._

_**There were these...weird bugs. They were using them to chase us down. They kept goin' on about 'upgrades'...it was fucking creepy.** _

"You will be upgraded."

_They stated in unison as he and Fun Ghoul high-tailed it back to the car. Fun Ghoul cursed as he tripped and fell to the dirt, eyes wide as the bugs began crawling up his legs,_

_"P-POISON!"_

_The fiery-haired man spun around at his friend's shout and rushed back to him, grabbing one of the bugs with his hand. It sent a strong zap through his body and Ghoul let out a pained cry; one of them latching onto his face,_

_"POISON!"_

_He grabbed that one and tried to pull it off as well; succeeding in being shocked a second time. Fun Ghoul continued to wriggle and cry frantically, trying to pry them off himself,_

_"Get 'em off me! Get 'em off!"_

_With a deep breath, he pulled his gun up and aimed at the bug on Ghoul's face,_

_"Hold still!"_

_**The first one popped off with no problem.** _

_Ghoul winced as it cut into his cheek, swallowing hard as he kicked a few off of his legs,_

_"The other one! The other one!"_

_Aiming again, the fiery-haired man fired into the one crawling up Ghoul's stomach._

_**I must've triggered some kind of security feature.** _

_Ghoul let out a shriek as the second bug exploded, gouging a deep hole in his torso as it sent electric shocks through his body. Poison let out a shout as the force sent him flying backward, watching in horror as his friend began to violently convulse,_

_"GHOUL!?"_

_**I thought I'd killed him.** _

_As he came to a stop, the red head cautiously crawled over to him, shaking his head,_

_"Ghoul...Ghoul!?"_

_The man, unresponsive at first, let out a soft groan and gagged. With a soft sigh of relief, he grabbed Ghoul by the arm and pulled him to his feet; helping him to the car,_

_"I got ya, buddy! I got ya. Hold on!"_

_**That's when I called you.** _

~ø~

"I wasn't sure you'd show. Y'know...since it wasn't ' _angel_ ' business."

Clara frowned as she glanced over at the Doctor,

"'Angel business'...?"

The Doctor shook his head; waving her question off as he turned to Party Poison with a scowl,

"These bugs you were talking about. What did they look like exactly? Do you remember?"

He nodded, scratching at his neck in thought,

"Yeah, um...they were long...kinda skinny. Reminded me of an ear wig."

Clara shifted uncomfortably at the mention and Poison shot her a confused look,

"You know... _Wrath of Khan_?"

The petite woman shook her head; arms folded,

"Never seen it."

A look of horror struck the fiery-haired man's face and he straightened, stammering in shock,

"You've _never_...wha- _how_. You sure know how to _pick_ 'em, Doc..."

She frowned at this, her eyebrows knitted as she pouted,

"Agh, _hey_!"

Shushing her again, the Doctor turned to her and pressed a finger to his mouth,

"Fingers on lips, Clara."

He then turned back to Poison, frowning as the man began to cough,

"These creatures...did they happen to be silver?"

Running a hand through his hair, Poison cleared his throat and nodded,

"Yeah, they looked like little machines. 'Bout the length of my hand."

"Wait a minute," Clara began, shaking her head with a sigh,

"Those sound like-"

"-Cybermites."

"Cyber- _whats_?"

The Doctor shook his head as he began pacing, letting out a sigh,

"Cybermites. Controlled by the Cybermen..."

"And _they_ are?"

"Hell bent on converting the entire human race into a cybernetic army."

He marched right up to Party Poison and took out his sonic screwdriver, waving it at his face,

"And you're sure that's what you saw? Absolutely? 100%?"

Quickly slapping the device away, Poison snorted in disgust and nodded shortly,

"Yeah, I'm fuckin' sure! What? You think I lost it or somethin'?"

The Doctor hastily checked the screwdriver, a frown tugging at his lips as he sighed deeply,

"Can't be too sure. You very nearly _killed_ your friend, after all..."

Poison shook his head at that and with a soft groan, pushed himself up from the step he sat on,

"You know what? Fuck you! I ain't gotta listen to this. If you don't wanna help, then just go, a'ight? Get the fuck outta here, and take your little _girlfriend_ with you. I ain't got time for this shit."

He motioned to Girl as he started for the door and she quickly hurried over to him,

"C'mon. Let's go."

Sighing deeply, the Doctor tiredly rubbed at his eyes,

"Michael, _wait_."

The red head turned around slowly, the Doctor silently noting how exhausted he looked.

With a deep sigh, the Doctor shook his head,

"If there are cybermites running around...then their central command must be somewhere nearby. You said there was some sort of satellite crash...?"

"Yeah. In the crater just off of Route Guano," he coughed, wiping his mouth quickly,

"Can't miss it. It's big as Texas. Well, as big as it _used_ to be, anyway..."

"All right, then," the Doctor sighed as he hurried downstairs. The three raised an eyebrow as he brought a bazooka back up to the surface with him, shoving it in Clara's direction,

"Here you go."

Clara frowned, shaking her head as she looked at it in confusion,

"I thought you didn't like guns..."

"Oh, it's not a gun, anymore, Clara," he began, tugging triumphantly at his bowtie,

"I fixed it."

"Whatcha mean 'fixed it?"

"Yeah," Poison began, raising an eyebrow as he looked it over,

"And isn't that actually _my_ gun...?"

"Not my fault you forgot to take it with you when you left," the Doctor began, turning back to Clara,

"And it's all electric now, plain and simple. More like a gigantic taser. At full power, the pulse is strong enough to knock the power out of an _entire_ city. Fire it into the command station and it should disable the bugs."

Poison nodded in thought, idly rubbing at the scarf around his neck,

"And that'll free Kid and Jet?"

"Ideally, yes," the Doctor began, handing him a small glove,

"But in the event that it doesn't, this should take care of things just as easily."

He then turned and started back up the stairs, Clara frowning and shaking her head,

"Ah...Aren't you coming?"

To this, the lanky man frowned and shook his head,

"And leave Fun Ghoul in the care of a _six-year-old_? I don't think so."

"What!? Whoa, I'm not staying with _you_ ," Girl protested, stepping up behind Poison with a scowl,

"I'm going, too!"

"Like hell,you are," Poison snorted, turning toward the door to leave,

"You're staying with Doc till we get this sorted out."

"Oh, what," Clara began, shaking her head as she marched over to the Doctor,

"You're sending me with _him_? I don't even _know_ him!"

"Well, then _get_ to know him," the Doctor began nodding toward him with a smile,

"Make friends!"

"I don't wanna make friends, Doctor," Clara whispered, glancing back at him shortly,

"He's _weird_."

"So am _I_ -"

"He aimed a gun at my face-"

"And who _hasn't-_?"

"I'm serious, Doctor," she began her voice a soft hiss as she shifted uncomfortably,

"There's something not right about him. He's just...I don't know. I don't trust him..."

"No," he began, his voice going very low at this point as he glared her right in the eyes,

"But you trust me, don't you?"

"Well, _sort of_ , yeah-"

"Well," the Doctor began as he turned her around and ushered her over to the fiery-haired man; following them to the door,

" _I_ trust _him_. He's a good man, Clara. One of the _bravest_ I've ever known."

She bit the side of her cheek in discontent, the Doctor's face soon turning to an annoyed frown,

"And what do you mean ' _sort of'-_!"

"C'mon, let's get this show on the road all ready! I ain't got all day."

Clara frowned as she glanced back at the fiery-haired man, who was already on his way out the door.

She scowled as she then turned back to the Doctor, and the lanky man smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders as he walked her to the door,

"Trust me, Clara. He's a _nice_ weirdo. You too will get on just fine."

"Somehow, I doubt that," she groaned, swinging the nose of the gun into her other hand as she started toward the car.

Girl was standing beside Party Poison as she approached, a pout on her face as he knelt down in front of her,

"Can't I come with you!? I can help! I _know_ I can-"

"No way, _José_ ," he shook his head, placing his hands on her shoulders,

"It ain't safe where we're goin' and I can't be looking after you out there."

She bowed her head sadly and he forced a smile, pulling her into a hug,

"C'mere."

Squeezing him tight, she sniffled as he continued,

"Doc's a good guy. He'll keep you safe, a'ight?"

Tousling her hair as he pulled away, he sent her back over to the Doctor, who smiled as she walked up,

"Oh, c'mon! Don't look so sour about this! We're gonna have loads of fun, you and me. _Loads!_ "

He did a little jig and Girl glared at him blankly; heaving a deep sigh as she turned back toward Party Poison,

"Hey, Poison?"

He paused as he opened the car door. She shot him a half-hearted smile,

"Be careful, okay? Don't get dusted."

"Will do, little mama."

Clara opened her door and sat down in the passenger's side as he climbed into the driver's seat; sliding the bazooka into the back.

She took a breath as he started the car, slapping her hands down into her lap,

"Well, I guess since we haven't been _formally_ introduced yet, and this is an already... _tense_...situation, I should introduce myself. Clara Oswald."

He glanced over at her and rolled his eyes, quickly throwing the car into reverse,

"Don't care."

Her eyes widened at this and she quickly fastened her seatbelt; swallowing hard,

"Yeah, I have a feeling we're gonna be _best_ mates..."

He then slammed on the gas, causing her to let out a shrill scream as they peeled away from the Diner going an easy 90.

The Doctor cringed at that, biting his lip as he watched them fade into the dust cloud they left behind,

"I'm beginning to think this might not have been the _best_ idea."

~ø~

- _ **Battery City-**_

Korse smiled as he strolled down the long hallway, nodding cordially to his fellow exterminators. It had been three months since he had had to personally deal with the Killjoys' obnoxious shenanigans. They had likely been quieted by the demise of their leader, Party Poison, a triumph he could only wish he had been part of. As he reached the room at the end of the hall, he opened the door and stepped into a large office,

"You wanted to see me, Director."

"Yes."

The tall chair seated at the end of the long, white table slowly spun, revealing a woman with short, black hair. Korse raised an eyebrow curiously at the woman,

"Miss Eri? Where is the Director?"

"The Director was terminated as of this morning," she began, slowly rising from her seat as she rounded the table,

"He failed to pass his inspections. I was promoted in his stead."

She came to a stop a few feet from him and forced a wide smile,

"And you will call me, ' _Madam Director_ ', from now on. Is that understood?"

Swallowing hard, Korse straightened and smiled back,

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good," she began, grabbing the remote from the table,

"Now, as for why I summoned you here."

She clicked on the monitor above the table, the image showing security footage of a strange burst of light on the horizon,

"A satellite has fallen due north, somewhere out on Route Guano. I sent a crew to collect it but they haven't returned, and what's more..."

Another image came up onto the screen, one of a helmeted pair of men arriving on motorcycles,

"Killjoys Jet Star and Kobra Kid were also spotted at the scene. It is unclear if the subjects were properly exterminated or not."

"Would you like me to check on the issues for you, Madam?"

"If you would," she turned back to the monitor,

"Who knows...you may get a _promotion_ out of the deal."

Nodding shortly, Korse turned about face and exited the room, a dark scowl crossing his features.

The woman smiled as she watched the security footage a bit longer. Kobra Kid and Jet Star, being accosted by a pair of well-aiming Draculoids, fell lifelessly to the ground. She continued to watch as the two were placed into regulation body bags. The Draculoids then disappeared into the crater, not to emerge again.

As she kept watching, her eyes widened. A white, 1979 Trans Am pulled into the frame and out from the driver's side, stepped a man with flaming, red hair. Scrambling for the remote, she quickly paused the footage and gazed at the image. Zooming in on him, she leaned against the table, a soft gasp of disbelief escaping her.

~ø~

Clara held onto the roof as he sped down the road, her hair whipping her in the face,

"S-So, how long have you known the Doctor?!"

She shouted over the wind roaring in through the open windows. He kept his eyes on the road, turning a hard right with a squeal of the tires,

"Technically? Six years."

"Technically," she repeated, shaking her head in confusion,

"Whatchya mean 'technically'?"

"Well, it was six years _for me_ ," he took another sharp turn and she yelped, holding tight to her seatbelt. He grinned at the fear that flashed across her face and took another sharp turn, going off road,

" _Three days_ for him."  
"Oh, is that _all_!?"

She jerked forward as they came to a sudden, short stop in front of an enormous crater; her seatbelt now choking her. He shook his head as he clambered out of the car; readying his gun,

"We're here."

Sighing in relief, she leaned back and grabbed the bazooka from the back seat, shaking her head as she followed after him,

"And _thank God_ for that..."

Stepping cautiously toward the edge, he sighed nodding to the pod at the bottom,

"That's it."

Stepping up next to him, Clara frowned,

"Doesn't seem like much."

He hopped down into the crater and carefully made his way down, calling back to her casually,

"Let's just hurry and get this fucking over with."

Rolling her eyes, she let out a sigh and followed suit, shaking her head,

"You know, you swear an _awful_ lot. Ever notice?"

"All the goddamn time, sweetheart. It's my fuckin' pasttime," he brought his gun up as he inched toward the silver capsule, eying the masks still lying on the ground.

She brought her bazooka up at this, hurrying after him,

"How _charming_."

Poison paused at the sound of another car on the other side of the crater and quickly grabbed her by the arm, dragging her along behind him,

"Quick, get down!"

They darted behind the capsule as a pair of headlights filtered over the edge of the crater, the pair peeking around cautiously at the sound of footsteps. A bald man appeared in the lights and Party Poison let out a soft curse,

" _Shit_..."

"What's that for? Who's he?"

Leaning back against the capsule, he glanced over at her, swallowing hard,

" _Bad news_."

He turned back to look again, Clara sighing deeply,

"Ah yes...thank you. That clears everything up-"

"C'mon," he grabbed her arm again, ushering her inside the capsule,

"Let's get outta sight before he spots us."

~ø~

Korse raised an eyebrow as he spotted a red-headed blur heading into the capsule at the base of the crater,

"No... it can't be."

Running a bio scan, he cursed.

Party Poison was still running, however impossible that seemed, and there was someone with him. A woman of unknown origin, she was not a registered citisen of Battery City. Frowning in disgust, he turned at the sound of nearby footsteps, startled to find a registered Killjoy standing behind him.

"Kobra Kid."

The blonde man glared at him blankly. Korse brought up his weapon to shoot, eyes widening as a pair of strong arms wrapped around him from behind. Glancing back, he eyed another Killjoy, the subject Jet Star, keeping him firmly grappled. Kobra Kid raised his hand up and began to approach, a dead look in his eyes,

" _ **You will be upgraded**_ **.** "


	3. Chapter 3

**Crash and Burn**

"So, who was he? That man outside?"

Clara asked again, holding the bazooka carefully as they made their way down a long corridor,

" _Bad news_ is a bit vague."

"He's an _exterminator_ ," Party Poison coughed harshly, his voice echoing coldly off the walls,

"And I'd like to keep off his radar if we can help it."

"An exterminator," she frowned, shaking her head,

"I'm guessing you don't mean for cockroaches."

He stopped, shooting her an annoyed look,

"No, I don't mean _cockroaches_ ," rolling his eyes, he started walking again.

"So, they just pop up and say 'hey, I don't like you' and what...boom? That's it, you're dead?"

"You know, you should be glad _I'm_ not an exterminator," he groaned, rubbing his stomach sorely,

"You'da gone _boom_ a long time ago."

Clara narrowed her eyes at that, marching around to cut him off,

"Hey," she shouted, an angry pout on her lips as she glared up at him,

"Look, I don't like being stuck with _you_ , either, but you don't see me being rude about it!"

He let out another groan, wincing as she continued,

"We got off to a pretty bad start back there. So, what do you say we start over and at least try to make this trip a little more civil?"

She held her hand out, glaring him straight in the eyes. With a sigh, he rolled his eyes and reluctantly shook it. A smile tugged at the side of her mouth and she straightened,

"See? That's not so bad-"

He then gripped her hand tightly, bringing his face inches from hers,

"Listen here, _girly_. You don't get to come in here and throw yourself around like you own the fucking place, a'ight _?_ This is _my_ domain. You do what _I_ say. Just cause the Doctor puts up with your bullshit, don't mean _I_ have to. I ain't him. Got it?"

She narrowed her eyes at this, and squeezed back, forcing a smile,

"My name is _Clara_."

They glared at each other for a few more moments, until Party Poison pulled back, pushing past her with a grunt,

"Let's just get this over with."

Rolling her eyes, she followed him deeper into the capsule with a sigh,

"Whatever you say... _your highness._ "

~ø~

Girl frowned as she sat in the open doorway of the TARDIS, gazing out at the desert with a sigh. The Doctor frowned at this as he came back into the room, placing his hands on his hips,

"Oh, do you have to look so dejected? He'll be back!"

She turned and looked at him, a deeply annoyed look on her face.

The Doctor swallowed hard as she continued to stare at him, drumming his arm with a whistle,

"Well, is there anything you'd like to do in the mean time? Chess? Cluedo? Maybe some Scrabble?"

Girl rolled her eyes at that and took to gazing back out at the desert. Clearing his throat, he shook his head and turned,

"I'll just go check on...erm...yeah."

She frowned as she caught something gleaming out past the road and stood up, cocking her head to the side as it drew closer.

Stepping out of the TARDIS, she walked out to see what it was. Her eyes widened as she saw that it was a group of people...people dressed in all white with silvery fixtures on their heads. Behind them roared what looked like a wave from the ocean; a wave of slithering, metallic bugs...

~ø~

Checking over the wounded man's stats, the Doctor sighed deeply and shook his head,

"You're lucky, you are. Michael almost made worm's meat of you..."

The dark-haired man didn't reply. To this, the Doctor frowned and took out his sonic screwdriver. He gazed at it a minute, his eyebrows knitting in thought,

"Very lucky indeed..."

" _DOCTOR!_ "

Straightening with a start, the Doctor rushed back out to the console room, spotting Girl in the doorway. He hurried over to her, kneeling down,

"What!? What is it!? What's the matter?"

She pointed to the cluster of man and machine that marched ever closer, and the Doctor cursed, quickly swinging the doors shut.

~ø~

"We almost there, you think?"

Party Poison glanced back at Clara as if hoping for a positive answer.

The woman shook her head,

"Dunno...I've never been in one of these before."

Coughing harshly, he held his side and winced,

" _Greaaaat_."

They inched farther down the corridor, Poison quickly pulling her aside as someone appeared at the end of the hall,

"Get back!"

A full-bodied robot appeared and started toward them; the red head pulling her flat against the wall behind him,

"What the hell is that thing?"

"A Cyberman," she whispered softly,

"One of the things the Doctor was telling you about earlier..."

"Ah, those things that wanna take over the human race, I got ya."

With a smirk, he pulled away from her and stepped out into the centre of the hall,

"Guess it's time we got this party started, then..."

Walking up behind it, he let out a loud whistle to draw it's attention,

"Hey, big boy! Over here!"

Clara's eyes widened as he drew it's attention and tried to wave him back,

"What the hell are you doing!? Get back here!"

The Cyberman halted and he grinned, raising up his ray gun,

"Present for you."

He fired a shot; the laser splashing harmlessly off of its head. Swivelling to face him, it began to march forward, arm extended,

_**"You will be upgraded."** _

He fired a few more shots, startled as they were easily deflected. As it marched closer, he took a few steps back; eyes wide. With an aggravated groan, Clara quickly jumped out from her spot, bazooka in hand as she hurried up behind him,

"Move!"

Knocking him out of the way, she fired a pulse that connected directly with the Cyberman's chest. It fell backward, violently convulsing as it crashed against the floor. After a few moments, it stopped moving all together.

Clara turned to Party Poison, an angry look in her eye,

"What the hell was that!? Were you trying to get us killed!?"

"No," he scowled, making a face at her,

"I was _trying_ to draw it's attention away from you-"

"And that would do _what_ exactly?"

He swallowed hard, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek,

"I, uh...I dunno! I was thinking...maybe you could sneak passed it or something!"

"Sneak passed it and let it kill you?"

He fell silent.

"Okay," she shook her head, starting passed him,

"How about I take the lead, now, before you go and do something even more _stupid_."

Wiping his nose, he scowled and pushed away from the wall, grumbling softly to himself.

~ø~

"Doctor," Girl squeaked as she backed away from the door,

"What are we gonna do!?"

The Doctor quickly pressed himself back against it, eyes wide as the crowd outside began to slam themselves against the door. Pulling his sonic from his pocket, he turned and used it on said door, locking it tight. The pounding continued, and he swallowed hard, quickly taking Girl by the hand as he hurried back to the console,

"We have to move. C'mon."

"How can we go anywhere," Girl squeaked, keeping herself pinned to the console as the Doctor feverishly beat at the controls,

"They've got us locked in!"

"Not for long they don't!"

Pulling down on one on the levers, the lights at her centre began to move, and Girl straightened, feeling the ground begin to shudder.

~ø~

Finally arriving at the end of the tunnel, the pair passed through a rounded doorway and into a circular room. At the centre of this room stood a console, with glowing blue lights and many wires.

Party Poison nodded to it shortly,

"That must be the control panel."

Clara nodded and stepped forward, raising the bazooka to fire. As the pulse hit the console, the lights flickered and shorted out, and she turned to the fiery-haired man with a smile,

"There. That was simple..."

He rolled his eyes and turned away from her, heading back to the hall,

"Well, if that's all there is to it, then let's get the hell out of here. I'll go get my boys, and you and Doc can be on your merry fucking way, sound good to you?"

"I'm afraid not."

The fiery-haired man gasped as he glanced up to see a bald man standing in the doorframe.

Silently, the man raised up his white gun and fired a shot, striking the wall beside Clara.

Party Poison quickly ducked as he took aim a second time, hurrying back to her as he fired a few shots back,

"Run!"

Quickly, he grabbed her hand and took off down a side exit. Pushing her ahead, he spun around and watched the man enter the hall behind them. He raised his gun to fire, but paused. For some strange reason, it felt as though the ground were shifting underneath him; tossing and turning like waves on the sea.

The exterminator took aim again.

All of a sudden, a brilliant burst of light shot passed his head and collided with their attacker; knocking him to the ground. Party Poison jumped as he heard a distant shout behind him. A hand grabbed him quickly and he turned, his focus returning as his eyes fell on Clara. She tugged fiercely at his arm, beginning to pull him along with her,

"C'mon!"

Nodding, he shook his head and quickly followed after her.

~ø~

A loud sound of 'whooshing' filled the console room and she glanced around, holding onto the pillar tight as the box began to rumble beneath her.

After a few moments, the whooshing sound ended and the Doctor smiled,

"There. That should do it."

"Do what," Girl squeaked, still clinging to the pillar for dear life,

"What did you do?"

With a grin, the Doctor marched to the door, the child shouting after him,

"No, don't! They'll get inside!"

"No, they won't. Trust me."

He grabbed the door knob and yanked it open fast,

"See, ta-!"

He was met by the barrel of a bright pink gun. To this, his smile fell and he put his hands up slowly,

"-da."

~ø~

They hurriedly clambered into the car, Clara's eyes wide as she buckled her seatbelt,

"You weren't kidding. He was really gonna kill you-"

"Yeah, no shit," he punched the gas, speeding away from the crater and down the dark, dusty highway.

Grabbing hold of the roof, she turned to him; her hair whipping her in the face,

"So, what do we do, now!?"

"Try and get back to the Diner," he stated, briefly looking away from the road and over at her,

"Doc's electric tampon oughta be able to tell us if that worked or not!"

" _'Electric tampon'_ ," she shouted over the roaring wind, a confused look on her face,

"You mean the _sonic screwdriver_!?"

"Yeah, whatever! If anything, it should know what to do next!"

Turning her eyes back to the road, Clara jumped as she spotted a figure in the road,

"LOOK OUT!"

Poison's hazel eyes widened as he glanced up to see both Jet Star and Kobra Kid blocking their path. Turning the wheel hard to the left, he veered to the side, narrowly avoiding collision. Unfortunately, he had overestimated the amount of room he had to work with.

Gripping the wheel tightly, he cursed as the car slipped from the road; beginning to flip as they tumbled down a steep slope. The world became a blur as he lost control of the vehicle, and Clara's screaming was soon drowned out by the sounds of distant gunfire...

~ø~

The Doctor swallowed hard as he eyed the gun trained on him and offered a nervous smile,

"Well, isn't this a familiar scenario. If I had a nickel for every gun aimed at my face..."

The helmeted man behind it did not seem to be as amused as he was. His smile fell and he coughed, shifting uncomfortably,

"I-I'd have an awful lot of nickels. Luckily, I have room for all of them..."

Offering a hand, he nodded,

"Hello, I'm the Doctor."

"No, _I'm_ the Doctor..."

He frowned as another man wheeled himself out from around the armed one. Shades lowered to the end of his nose, the man scowled and motioned to the TARDIS,

"And you must be some kinda _Crash Queen_ to wreck _my_ domain in a ride like _that_."

To this, the Doctor shrugged and let out a timid laugh.

~ø~

_'"Beware of the statues."'_

Clara jumped at the sound of a loud whisper in her ear, her eyes shooting open in fright. Alarmed, she found herself hanging upside down in her seat. Her eyes widened.

The figures in the road. They had swerved to avoid them.

They must have crashed.

She sighed in relief, realising this meant she had survived and smiled,

"Phew, that was a close one..."

She glanced over at the seat beside her, eyes widening as she found it empty,

"Hey...?"

Glancing around frantically, she hurriedly made to unfasten her seat belt, calling out again,

"Hey!"

A curse escaped her as she freed herself from her bonds, dropping straight onto her head with a loud thud,

"Ow!"

Upon regaining her composure, she crawled out of the window and stood on shaky legs. They'd landed in a dried field at the base of the slope, next to an oddly shaped tree.

She took a deep breath. He was nowhere in sight.

"Oh, boy..."

Taking a few steps away from the vehicle, she noted that the wheels of the car were still spinning, and desperately began searching the area. The wind was chilly as it breezed passed and she rubbed at her arms, feeling her insides beginning to shake a little,

"Michael!"

The petite woman then bit her lip, swallowing hard,

"At least...I _think_ that's your name...?"

There was no reply either way.

Calling out again, Clara strained her eyes to see into the inky blackness; the smoke generating from the overturned car further obscuring her vision,

"Michael!"

She took a step forward and froze. A few feet away, she spotted a figure lying in the grass; their fluorescent hair seeming to glow in the dark. Her stomach dropped as she ran to him, kneeling as she reached his side,

"Hey! Hey!"

Gently, she rolled him over onto his back and lightly patted at his cheek,

"Michael! Michael!"

He made no response. She shook her head at this, and leaned down; ear over his mouth to check for signs of breathing. He took small gasps that were light; strained. Swallowing hard, she sat back up and glanced around,

"Well, you're not dead. That's a good start..."

Spotting a building nearby, she glanced back up at the slope; her breath halting as she spotted the two figures from the road standing on the edge of hill. They stared at her intently.

Climbing to her feet, she grabbed Party Poison under the arms and began to carefully drag him toward the shabby structure. She kept her eyes fixed on the figures the entire time. They made no motion of coming after them. Upon reaching the back door, she grunted and she shoved her way through; years of dust and grime cascading down on her as she pulled him inside.


	4. Chapter 4

**Houses of the Holy**

"Welcome to my humble abode, _Doctor_ ," the man in the motorised wheelchair snorted, cocking his head to the side as he continued,

"Now, are you gonna tell me how you found this place? Or is Show Pony here gonna have to give you a _third eye_...?"

The Doctor swallowed hard as the gun drew closer to his face and his mouth dropped open,

"Uhhh...yes...erm...how we found you...yes, that's a good place to start in _theory_ , but the truth is I haven't really the faintest clue, seeing as the TARDIS tends to take me wherever she pleases and I bet, I _bet_ you're wondering 'Well, how could she do that? She's just a box' and I'll say 'Mmm, well _technically_ she's not just a box, she's much more than a _box_ , but long story short I've been wondering the same thing for years-'"

"D!"

The Doctor jumped as Girl ran out from behind him and over to the chair-bound man; throwing her arms around him. He seemed surprised to see her,

"Well, hey there, little motorbaby! Tell me what brings you here with the likes of this...uh...this..."

He motioned to the Doctor, a frown of confusion on his face.

"It's _the Doctor_ ," the Doctor grumbled to himself.

Dr. D then motioned to the one called Show Pony to lower his weapon as Girl continued,

"Poison told me to stay with him."

"Poison did," D frowned, turning to the Doctor with a raised brow,

"Now, I've known that boy since he was knee-high to a grasshopper, and he never once mentioned you. Care to explain that one, Mr. ' _The Doctor_ '?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes,

"Now, you're just being _facetious_."

He pushed passed them and stepped further into the little studio, looking around curiously at all of the equipment,  
"A transmitter? You must be the jockey from the radio...broadcasting events over the airwaves in real time...?"

Pulling out the sonic screwdriver, he waved it at the receivers and flicked it up,

"Interesting. Tell me, exactly how is it that you know so much, _'Dr. Death Defying'?_ "

"Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'a magician never reveals his secrets?'"

The Doctor smirked as he turned back to the chair-bound man,

"Yes, well, I think you're a little far from being a magician'..."

"And I think you're a little far from being a _Doctor_ ," D smugly replied, wheeling himself over to the receiver,

"But that don't stop you from calling yourself one, now does it?"

Turning to face the lanky man, Dr. D scowled,

"Now, tell me...how exactly do you know our Murder Wizard?"

The Doctor defiantly folded his arms and leaned back against the desk,

"Oh, Michael and I go _way_ back..."

"Michael, huh? He lets you call him that?"

The Doctor scowled as he glanced up to see Show Pony attempting to take a stroll into the TARDIS.

With a snap of his fingers, the doors to the box slammed shut and Show Pony jumped; startled. He spun around, seeming to glare the Doctor down as he placed his fists on his hips.

"Well, I wouldn't say ' _lets_ '," the Doctor began quietly, "But I found ' _Party Poison_ ' to be a bit of a mouthful so I do anyway and let's not change the subject, shall we?"

"So, you don't know why he took it, then? That name?"

The Doctor frowned, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"No...why?"

~ø~

_"How do you think the roses would look here?"_

-ø-

_They stood out in the front yard, looking at the empty flower boxes by the porch. He turned to her and shrugged,_

_"I don't know. I'm not really a flower kind of guy."_

_"Oh, c'mon, Michael," she groaned, her long, dark hair pulled back by a bandana,_

_"This is your house too, remember? You have to have a say!"_

_Rolling his eyes, he shook his head,_

_"Uh, I don't know? How about daisies?"_

_"We don't have daisies," she bent down and picked up four packets of flower seeds and the hose from the front step,_

_"We have roses, petunias, violets, and marigolds. Now, which one do you think would look best in the bed?"_

_With a grin, he put his arms around her waist and pulled her in,_

_"I think you would look best in the bed-"_

_"Michael-"_

_"You and me, rollin' around in the dirt-"_

_"Michael..."_

_"Hey, we're newlyweds," he laughed, leaning close to kiss her,_

_"I really don't think the neighbours would be that shocked-"_

_He missed her lips by a mile as she pulled away, the woman scowling at him,_

_"Can't you take things seriously for once in your damn life?"_

_"Pssssh," he snorted, shaking his head,_

_"Lady, that is a TALL order-"_

_He jumped, letting out a yell as she suddenly squirted him in the face with the nozzle._

_Shoving the packets at his chest, she glared at him viciously,_

_"Get a ladder, then."_

_She then turned and stormed back to the house, leaving him in the front yard alone._

_He sighed as he called after her, dropping one of the packets in his hand,_

_"Bev! Bev, c'mon!"_

_**PLIP** _ **.**

_"Bev!"_

_**PLIP.** _

-ø-

Party Poison jumped as he felt something wet splash onto his face,

"Bev?"

He reached up and quickly wiped the droplet from his face as it began to burn; turning his eye toward the ceiling. It was raining outside, he could hear it drumming against the roof.

Quickly, he scooted aside as another drip of water seeped from a crack in the eaten plaster.  
A groan escaped him as a hot, searing pain tore through his chest..

He began to cough, the pain growing worse with each spasm. He covered his mouth.

This was going to get messy, no doubt.

"Michael!?"

Eyes wide, his head shot up as he heard the shout from the other room. Pulling himself to his feet, he gazed down the hall, his heart racing,

"Bev...?"

The sound of footsteps grew closer and he waited on baited breath.

Was it her? No, that would be impossible.  
The path to her time was broken, riddled with angels.

The Doctor had said so himself.

But it had sounded so much like her...maybe, just maybe she had found a way?

Clara stepped out from around the corner then, her eyes wide as she smiled,

"Oh, good! You're not dead. That's a relief! Had me scared for a bit there."

His face fell as he eyed her, swallowing hard the lump in his throat.

Noting this change, the doe-eyed woman cringed,

"Don't look so _happy_ to see me, now. People might get the wrong impression-"

"Who said you could call me 'Michael'?"

Clara frowned as she found him glaring her down, his eyes like daggers,

"Um...no one? I thought that was your name?"

"Well, it ain't," he hissed, grabbing his side as he turned and started away from her,

"It's ' _Party Poison_ '. Call me that again and I will personally _end_ you, got it?"

"Hmm, you really know how to make a girl feel special..."  
Rolling his eyes, he began limping down the hall, using the wall as support as he walked. He took a small phone out of his pocket and frowned. No screen. Raising it up, he snorted and flipped it shut, shaking his head,  
"'No need for a signal', my _ass..._ "

Glancing back at her, he groaned as a sharp pain shot through his hip,

"You find a radio in this dump? Maybe we can call for help."

"No, nothing. I looked around a bit though," she began, rubbing at her arm nervously,  
"I guess this place used to be some kind of church."  
Poison nodded thoughtfully, snorting to himself as he looked around,

"Well, that explains the burning sensation."  
"The what?"

" _Nothing."_

He winced as he reached a door down the hall marked 'To Sanctuary' and frowned. A pain shot through him and he grimaced, gripping his side. Clara noted his awkward posture and raised an eyebrow,

"You all right?"

"I'm fine."

He grunted as he pushed open the door, dust fluttering down from the frame into his face. It made him cough. There was a staircase inside.

Grabbing the railing, he started carefully started down, still hacking rather fiercely.

Clara swallowed hard, growing slightly more concerned as it seemed to worsen,

"Tickle in your throat?"

The woman gasped as he fumbled his footing and stumbled down the steps, watching him tumble to the floor in a heap,

"Oh my God!"

Hurrying down after him, she knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder,

"Are you okay!?"

He groaned as he pushed himself up onto his side, pushing her abruptly away,

"I said ' _I'm fine_ '!"

She straightened as his scarf shifted, revealing a bright red rash just under his jawline.  
She kept her eyes on it; her voice soft and startled,  
"What's that on your neck...?"

In a panic, he pulled the scarf tight and jumped to his feet, staggering on down the hall,

"You're really fucking _nosy,_ you know that?"

She silently watched him trudge away, her stomach tightening anxiously.

~ø~

"Hmmm, so he's called 'The Doctor'," Korse smiled, standing at the broken console within the capsule's centre. He smirked,

"Oh, Miss Eri, the Oracle played you for a fool...oh, forgive me. It's 'Madam Director', now."

The man then stopped, frowning slightly as he the metal apparatus affixed to his face began to hum.

His mind soared back, scouring file upon file contained in the mainframe of his brain, until it reached a document containing the status of a Killjoy by the name of 'Go-Go'.

She looked remarkably similar to the new Madam Director.

"Or perhaps, you were never fooled at all..."

~ø~

The raven-haired woman sighed as she stepped into the white chamber, a set of glass doors sealing her in. Calmly, she leaned back against the wall, a soft hiss filling her ears.

**"We will fix you in no time, Madam Director."**

Said a voice from the intercom. She smiled to the nearby monitor and gave a nod. A strange smell, akin to that of disinfectants, filled the room and she closed her eyes.

_"Did it hurt when you heard I'd died?Were you upset?"_

The memories of those long nights and even longer days came back to her, the nights she had longed to be in his arms once more. It had felt like a hundred years had passed since that day...the day she had lost it all.   
**_Lost him._**

_"The world goes on."_

But hers hadn't. It had died that day, that day the angels had touched her and sent her spiralling back through time. She had lost everything. A tear trailed down her cheek as she opened her eyes.

_"You could be free from all of this. Free from the fear...free from the suffering that comes with this life."_

She could see him now, taking up her line of sight, their lips mere inches apart. She could feel his hot breath on her skin, smell the sweat dripping from his brow. Sparks trickled from her fingertips as she ran her hand up through his greasy hair, pulling him in, kissing him hard. His lips had been so soft; so soft and wonderful. Being in those arms again had made her feel something she hadn't felt in forever.

It had made her feel loved.

_"I'd rather die."_

The anger he had spat at her was all that remained now. Clenching her fists, she narrowed her eyes and took another deep breath, allowing the gas to fill her lungs. She began to get light headed.

This made her smile.

"I will forget it all," she began, wiping her eyes of the tears that poured from them,

"Everything that ever existed between us."

She swallowed hard the lump that had developed in her throat and closed her eyes.

_**"Because love is just a symptom of the disease you have become to me. And I will find a cure for you."** _

~ø~

Clara stepped into the sanctuary, eyes wide as she eyed the tall cross on the wall. Party Poison was standing in front of it, idly rubbing at the rosary that dangled from his wrist. Cautiously, she called out to him,

"Find anything?"

Quickly, he turned, his eyes wide and glittering. It looked as though he'd been crying. She straightened as he quickly wiped them with the back of his hand and watched him step around the remains of a decimated altar,  
"Yeah. There's a radio over here."

As she slowly grew closer, she gasped, eying the corpse he was now kneelng by,

"Oh my..."

Reaching down, he pried the receiver out of it's rotting hand and Clara gasped, finding herself gagging as she leaned against one of the remaining pews,

"Oh, ho...okay...that was a little...gruesome."

He brushed it off and followed the cord back to the radio on the shelf, shaking his head,

"He's been dead a while. Smells that way, anyhow. And from the looks of this place...there musta been one nasty death disco up in here."

Insides shaking, Clara glanced over and spotted another body, her eyes wide,

"Oh, boy. You're not kidding, are you...?"  
She quickly hurried up to the altar, her stomach turning as the foul smell of death hit her like a brick wall. Gagging, she turned and headed for the nearest wall away from him. The fiery-haired man snickered at this, amused,  
"You okay, _chicka_?"  
The petite woman paced the floor, trying her best to keep from hyperventilating,

"Oh yeah, I'm fine...just great...don't worry about me."  
She then paused and turned to him, fanning herself with a hand,

"Is it hot in here? It feels hot."

He shook his head at her, still cracking a smile as he went back to fiddling with the radio.

To this, she scowled, shaking her head,

"What? Do you think this is funny?"

"No," he snorted, looking at her innocently.

"Dead people lying all around you, is that funny? These people had families, you know!"

He halted at that, swallowing hard,

"I-I wasn't sayin' that-"

"You didn't have to, cause you're laughin'! It's not funny! It's really sad and tragic and-"

Party Poison straightened as he watched her rush toward the door, her face turning white as a sheet.

"I need air," she gasped.

Jumping to his feet, he quickly chased her down as she opened the door and started out into the rain; grabbing her arm,

"NO, DON'T-!"

A droplet hit her skin as he pulled her back inside and she frowned, looking to him in confusion,

"What are you-!?"

She then yelped as her hand began to burn, shaking the water off quickly. A red spot was beginning to appear on her skin, and it was steadily growing larger. Giving her no time to protest, Party Poison untied the handkerchief from around his wrist and dabbed the burning water off her skin. He then pulled a small flask from his coat pocket and popped it open with his teeth, dumping the contents onto the burn. She jumped as it pooled in her palm, relieved as it quickly worked to cool the spot down.  
"That rain out there is more acid than water," he stated, taking the other handkerchief from around his leg and tying it around the burn,

"You ever see Dante's Peak?"

"No."

"That's probably for the best, then..."

She watched his face as he wrapped her hand up, a smile tugging at her lips,

"Thank you."

He paused and looked up at her, swallowing hard as he was met with a familiar pair of doe brown eyes.

Coughing shortly, he promptly let go of her hand and turned away from her,

"I-uh...I think I got this thing working pretty good. I'm gonna send out a call so you keep your mouth _shut._ The transmission works but it ain't clear and I need to be able to hear if someone comes through..."

She nodded, idly rubbing at the handkerchief,

"Yeah, got it."

~ø~

"He never told me any of that, no," the Doctor whispered, tugging at his throat nervously.

"Then, I hope you understand why he goes by that name. It ain't just for shits and giggles. There's _meaning_ to it."

The Doctor nodded solemnly as the DJ finished,

"Yes, I uh...I understand the meaning a name can bring all too well."

The group straightened as the radio buzzed then, a staticky voice bleeding in through the speakers,

" _-bzzt-YO, YO, YO-bzzt-What it is, motherfuckers, 10-4!"_

The Doctor straightened, his eyes wide as the voice came in loud and clear,

"That's-"

"Poison," Girl smiled.

" _-bzzt- Do you really have to talk like that?-bzzt-_ "

The Doctor's eyes lit up at the sound of her voice and he breathed a sigh of relief,

"And Clara!"

Quickly, he shoved past Dr. D in a frantic scramble for the receiver, nearly knocking the speakers over as he snatched it from the table,

"Clara! Clara, I'm here!"

"Hey," D shouted, scowling at him as he wheeled his way over to the desk,

"Ain't anybody ever tell you not to touch another man's equipment without consent!?"

The Doctor ignored him, and instead, pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

_"-bzzt- Why shouldn't I?-bzzt-"_

_"-bzzt- Because! It's incredibly rude!-bzzt-"_

He laughed at that, waving the device at the radio,

"Yeah, you tell him."

"Ahem," Dr. D cleared his throat slapping the Doctor in the thigh as he wheeled close,

"Would you mind telling me why the fuck you are waving a _glowstick_ at my radio?"

"Clara," the Doctor shouted again, his lips nearly brushing the receiver,

"Clara, can you hear me!? Hello? Clara!"

_"-bzzt- Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?-bzzt-"_

_"-bzzt- Not anymore. She's been dead for six years.-bzzt-"_

_"-bzzt-Oh...I'm so sorry! I didn't know...-bzzt-"_

_"-bzzt- Nah, I'm just fuckin' with you. She lives out in Neo Pasadena...-bzzt-"_

"They can't hear us," the Doctor scowled, scanning the radio one last time before turning back for the TARDIS,

"The glitch must be on their end."

"And where are _you_ going?"

With a smile, the Doctor waved the screwdriver at D,

"To them."

He paused before stepping inside the box, turning back to Girl with a smile,

"So, then...would you like to come with me or stay with him?"

The curly-haired child giggled as she bounded into the TARDIS, and the Doctor turned back for the DJ,

"Now, if you would be so kind as to put a word out for anyone in your listening vicinity to stay in their homes or _whatever_ type of establishment they reside in, I'd be much obliged."

"Yeah," D nodded, raising an eyebrow curiously,

"I think I can do that."

"Right," the Doctor straightened, tipping an imaginary hat to the man as he stepped back through the open door,

"Well, then...toodle-loo, _Doctor_."

He closed the door as he turned away, strutting back to the console with a smirk.

Dr. D and Show Pony watched silently as the TARDIS began to whoosh and whirr, the small lantern on it's roof beginning to glow. The box began to slowly vanish then, waxing and waning in visibility until it had completely disappeared from sight.

Cautiously, Show Pony glided over to the spot where it had sat. Confused, he spun around to face the DJ as if expecting an answer. Dr. Death Defying took off his glasses at this and shook his head,

"Now, I'll admit, there ain't much out there that surprises me anymore... but what the damn hell just happened here?"

~ø~

Clara gazed down at her hand, quiet as a mouse, mindlessly running her fingers over the handkerchief. Party Poison was sitting nearby, still tinkering with the radio in an effort to send out an SOS. She glanced over to the wall farthest to their right, where the dead lay silent. Poison had pulled the bodies away from the altar and draped an old sheet over them in respect.

It was an oddly nice gesture, coming from him.

Turning to him, she smiled thoughtfully,

"So...who's Bev?"

Immediately, he stopped what he had been doing and looked at her, eyes wide. She straightened at the look on his face and shook her head, beginning to stammer,

"You, ah...you kept saying that name. When you were out of it, I mean. Earlier..."

Idly, he rubbed at the rosary around his wrist, his gaze awkwardly falling away from hers.

Seeing this, Clara cleared her throat, hastily offering an apology,

"If that was too personal, I'm sorry! I don't mean to pry...just curious. You don't have to-"

"No, no, it's...it's all right. It's fine," he smiled, shaking his head,

"Bev, she...she was my wife."

The petite woman sputtered at this, her eyes turning to saucers in surprise,

"You-Your wife!"

He snickered as she continued to make a dozen faces and nodded shortly. Clara swallowed hard and shook her head, blinking hard,

"Wow...I did not see that one coming."

"You and me _both_."

They shared a laugh, the dark-haired woman shaking her head,

"You're not messing around with me, are you? Someone _actually_ married you?"

Poison snorted at that,

"I find your lack of faith _disturbing_."

"Sorry," she put her hands up innocently,

"I just...didn't really peg you for the _marrying_ type."

He smiled at that, scratching his neck nervously,

"Yeah...neither did _I_."

They were both silent for a moment, Clara scooting a bit closer,

"So, what was she like? I mean she had to be some kind of saint to tolerate _you_..."

Party Poison laughed, shaking his head,

" _Jeez..._ I'm not _that_ terrible."

She shot him a blank look. Exhaling deeply, he smirked and scratched his head,

"Okay, you got me there."

They laughed a bit, the red head idly tugging at the scarf around his neck,

"She was...she was somethin' else. Kinda like me. Halo held up by her horns..."

Clara smiled as he made the motion of horns with his fingers. He leaned his head back, grinning from ear to ear as he continued,

"A school teacher. Kindergarten. She was really good with 'em, too..."

Propping her head on her hand, Clara sighed,

"And where's she, now? In Neo Pasadena with your _'dead'_ mum?"

He swallowed hard, his gaze falling back to the floor as he let out a cough,

"Nah, she...she died...a long time ago."

The woman straightened, her shoulders slumping at the tone in his voice,

"Oi, you're not kidding are you?"

With a deep breath the fiery-haired man shook his head, unable to look her in the eye,

"I wish I was."

Clara's face softened as he stood, watching silently as he limped to the other side of the room. He smiled, swinging his arms awkwardly as he went,

"Like I said, though, it was a long time ago. I was just a kid..."

Scratching his head, he shrugged, turning to her with a sheepish grin,

"Shit happens...you know?"

"How long had you been married," she asked, her voice soft and sorrowful as she spoke.

He stopped with a sigh, his arms folded as he gazed at the crucifix on the wall,

"Not long enough."

After a minute, he smirked, and shook his head,

"You...you kind of remind me of her. A little..."

She sighed, a sad smile hitting her lips,

"You're not the first person to say something like that..."

They both fell silent.

After a moment or two, he began coughing again, rather harshly this time and Clara straightened,

"Are you okay?"

Doubling over, he fell to his knees, unable to respond.

She jumped up, quickly running to his side with a frantic shout,

"Hey!"

~ø~

"So, we're gonna go find Poison?"

Girl queried, resting her chin on the console board.

The Doctor nodded, examining the sonic screwdriver thoroughly,

"We're gonna try. That signal was very dodgy, hard to get a read on, but if I just tweak it like so..."

A loud ding sounded from the monitor and he grinned, slapping the controls with a laugh,

"Hah! There we are..."

He hurried over to the door, Girl trotting after him anxiously,

"Did it work!?"

The Doctor scoffed,

"Of course it worked! Just who do you think you're dealing with here?"

As he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of the overturned Trans Am, smoke billowing from beneath her hood. Eyes wide, he ran to it, hearts pounding in fright,

"No...no, no! Clara!"

He slid to a stop at the passenger's side door, finding the car to be empty,

"Clara?"

A scream drew his attention away from the vehicle and he stood up stalk straight. He spotted Girl, cowering in the doorway of the TARDIS as two men dressed in all white approached her. Quickly he aimed the sonic screwdriver at the doors and slammed them shut, barring the men from reaching the child. The TARDIS then took off, disappearing in a whoosh of wind and light.

The Doctor smiled,

"Good girl..."

"You must be the one they call ' _The Doctor_ '..."

He turned at the sound of a voice from behind him, startled to receive a karate chop to his face.

His vision went black.

* * *

_**A/N: I really wish that last Killjoys issue would come out...** _


	5. Chapter 5

**Move Your Body**

_"-bzzt-Yo, yo, yo! What it is, motherfuckers!? 10-4!-bzzt-"_

He straightened as he pulled the van to a screeching halt on the side of the dusty road, eyes wide as he gaped at the radio. That voice...he hadn't heard that voice in over 3 months, not since the Raygun Jones show had been pixelated. Swallowing hard, he waited on baited breath for the voice to return.

_"-bzzt-Do you really have to talk like that?-bzzt-"_

Well, there was a voice he didn't recognise. A woman, from the sound of it, and not local, judging by her accent. He wondered how she even managed to wander into the Zones.

_"-bzzt-Why shouldn't I?-bzzt-"_

_"-bzzt- Because it's incredibly ru-wooooo-bzzt-"_

His heart stopped. That voice definitely belonged to _him_. He smacked the radio a few times as it let out a shrill whine at him. The signal was gone. He'd lost it. Cursing, he started the van back up and made a U-turn. The only tower around was affixed to one of their old ghost stations; an abandoned church just off of Route Guano. In all likelihood, it must have been where the broadcast had come from. Stepping on the gas, he sped down the abandoned highway, thunder booming in the distance.

~ø~

"Hey! _Hey!_ "

She placed a hand on his shoulder as she knelt down, tucking some hair behind her ear,

"Are you okay!?"

With one final cough, he gasped for air and wiped his mouth,

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He coughed again; spitting to the side. Clara straightened.

It was blood. She swallowed hard.

With a soft groan, he went to pull himself up, and quickly, she stood with him, hand hovering over his back,

"No, you're not...you're hurt-"

"I've been in worse scrapes then this, _peaches_ -"

"Worse _how_ ," she frowned, grabbing his arm as he nearly fell again,

"You were thrown from a _car_!"

He looked over at her, a smirk crossing his blood spattered lips as he snorted,

" _Pffft..._ try getting shot in the hip by a Nazi..."

He hobbled toward the door, the woman staring after him in confusion,

"A _Nazi_? Is that another term you use for those Exterminators?"

"No," he spun around, an aggitated look on his face,

"It's a term for those fucking, _goose-stepping_ douchebags that killed thousands of innocent people back in World War II..."

She stared at him blankly. He could see she was completely confused.

Wiping his nose, he forced a bitter smile and shook his head,

"Doc didn't tell you anything about me, did he?"

Silently, she shook her head. Inhaling deeply, he let out a laugh and scratched his head,

" _Figures_. Bet he didn't tell you about the Angels, either."

"What angels," she shook her head, rubbing her arm unconsciously.

Poison rolled his eyes and sighed,

"You know, I don't know why he even fucking looked for you if he was just gonna keep you in the dark about everything. What's he have you do all day? Stand around and look _pretty_ for him?"

"What do you mean he was looking for me?"

She marched right up to him, a deep scowl on her face,

"When? When was he lookin'?"

The fiery-haired man straightened at the look on her face and shook his head,

"You really don't know?"

She shook her head. Sighing, he opened his mouth to speak; a shout from outside drawing their attention.

_"Clara!"_

She turned to look at the door, eyes wide. It was the Doctor's voice.

"Well, here we go, then," Poison let out an exasperated sigh, grabbing the door knob,

"You can ask him yourself."

As he threw open the door, he was met with the sight of Kobra Kid and Jet Star. The Doctor was knelt between them, bound and unconscious. Clara gasped as she bolted forward out of the doorway, eyes wide,  
"Doctor!"

Poison first looked to make sure the rain had ceased before hurrying out after her, his attention turning to the right at the sound of a deep voice,

"Hello, Party Poison. Long time no see."

The red head gaped at the bearer of said voice in shock. It was Korse.

The bald man smirked then, and aimed his pristine, white gun at Clara.

Eyes wide, Poison bolted toward her, giving a shout,

"Clara!"

She stopped dead in her tracks, whipping her head around to see him running toward her fast.

Her eyes then fell on the Exterminator from earlier, his gun aimed in her direction. He fired.

She flinched.

But the hit never came.

Opening her eyes, she saw Party Poison staggering in her direction, smoke spiralling from the back of his jacket. She grabbed onto him as he nearly collapsed, her voice trembling with fright,

"Party Poison!"

Gasping painfully, he grabbed her arm and squeezed it tight, spitting a hanging strand of hair from his mouth as he hissed,

" _Run...!_ "

Pushing her forward, they turned and ran from the scene; the loud clanging of metal behind them echoing throughout the valley. Clara glanced back as they went, heart pounding as she eyed the cybernetic army that now marched after them.  
Korse grinned as he watched their fleeting frames, nodding to the Cybermen whom had gathered behind him,

"Get them. Make sure they don't escape."

He then turned to Kobra Kid and Jet Star, and nodded toward the road,

"And take him to the crater. Our fine Doctor is due for an upgrade of his own..."

~ø~

"We have to go back! We can't just leave him-!"

Poison winced as scorching pain tore through his shoulder. He quickly shook his head,

"No way, _sweetheart_."

"But the Doctor-"

"Doc's as good as dead in case you haven't noticed," he spun quickly, glaring her straight in the eye,

"And I am _not_ gonna stick my neck out for no corpse-"

Pulling away from him, Clara gave him a hard shove and scowled,

"Unbelieveable. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going, is that it-!?"

"Pretty much-"

"Wow," she snorted, glancing around,

"That is absolutely amazing. Just when I think I'm beginning to actually _like_ you, you go and show me how much of a _coward_ you actually are-"

Enraged, Party Poison snarled, stepping right up into her face,

"You don't know a thing about this life, _girly_. And you don't know a thing about _me_ , so step off your fucking high horse and-"

"Quit calling me ' _girly_ '," she interjected, her brown eyes glittering with tears,

"My name is _Clara_. And if you were _half_ the man the Doctor thinks you are you'd go back and you'd help me save him!"

Poison swallowed hard, snorting softly to himself as he turned and started away from her,

"Guess I'm not, then."

Clara clenched her fists as she watched him walk away, a look of pure disgust on her face.

"What about that little girl?"

The fiery-haired man stopped in his tracks, head bowing as she continued,

"If they took the Doctor, then where is she? What if they've taken her, too...? Will you go back for _her_? Or are you just gonna leave her to die?"

He shook his head, his voice shaky and uncertain,

"They don't have her."

"How do you know?"

"I just _know_ , a'ight!?"  
He spun around, his eyes widening as he found himself standing in the surf on a dreary beach. Clara was gone. His heart began racing as he glanced around. Mutilated bodies lay strewn about all around him. There was a pungent odor in the air, the smell of death and the salt of the sea. And blood. There was so much blood. Squeezing his eyes shut, he shook his head and opened them again. The smell had faded and now he was back in the desert.

Clara was staring at him.

"You okay," she asked softly.

Shaking his head, he hurried and grabbed her hand again, pulling her away from the area,

"C'mon, this way."

"Why?"

She pulled away, and he swallowed hard, licking his lips nervously as the sounds of marching grew louder,

"'Cause their _coming_ -"

"And? What about the Doctor?"

Rolling his eyes, he shook his head,

"If you wanna save him, you gotta stay alive, right?"

"...Yeah...?"

"Well, do you wanna stay alive, or _don't_ you!?"

Hesitantly, she nodded and followed him over the sparse, grassy hill.

They eyed a pair of white body bags lying near to a rundown trailer. Poison hurried over to the nearest bag and unzipped it. Clara glanced back as he continued to fumble with the bag, hearing the marching grow closer,

"Are we gonna go inside?"

"Yep."

"Then, what are we still doing out here?"

Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her toward the bag and shoved her toward the dirt,

"Climb in, _beautiful_."

"Oh, what!? No way! You're jokin'!"

Glancing up, he spotted one of the zombie-like men coming up over the hill,

"Just get in!"

He shoved her into it, climbing in behind her and zipping it shut. It was rather close quarters. Clara found her nose being shoved into his chest as she shifted, her eyes wide,

"I thought we were gonna go _inside_!"

"We _are_ inside."

"Yeah, a _body bag_! I thought you meant the _caravan_!"

"The cara-the _trailer_ is too obvious," he coughed shortly, pulling his gun up over her,

"They'll snoop around inside it for sure."

"And what, they won't think to peek around in here!?"

"Not if they think a stiff is inside it! Now, shut your pie hole, they're comin'!"

She made an annoyed face and was about to say something in response when she heard them speaking.

_**'"Check the facility. The subjects may be inside."'** _

They stayed quiet, Poison swallowing hard as he felt one come to a stop right beside the bag. He and Clara exchanged a nervous glance. He kept his finger on the trigger.

They listened for a few minutes more, until another one of the cybernetic men spoke out,

_**'"Negative. The subjects are not in this area. Resume search elsewhere."'** _

They stayed quiet until the sounds of marching had finally faded, both of them letting out a sigh of relief. Clara smiled,

"They're gone."

"Yeah, I think so," he replied.

She shifted slightly, rolling onto her back as he began to fumble for the zipper,

"You know...it's actually not so bad in this thing. Bit of a nasty smell, but kind of cozy."

"That's cause they keep it at room temperature to let the bodies rot."

Her face fell at that, and quickly she began scrambling for the zipper as well. Yanking it open, she clambered out of it and crawled a foot or so away, shivering,

"Ugh! That's disgusting!"

He snickered as he sat up and shook his head. They met eyes, both of them dissolving into giggles shortly after. The petite woman smiled, rubbing her arms as she walked back over to help him up,

"Shut up, it's not funny."

"It's a _little_ funny," he groaned, wincing as he grabbed his shoulder.

They both laughed again, and she shook her head, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ears.

~ø~

"How are you feeling, Madam Director?"

The raven-haired woman emerged from the tube with a smile on her face,

"Much better. Thank you."

She nodded to the two running the equipment and they turned and left the room.

Heading back to her office, she went straight to the monitor and tuned in to his signal,

"Korse. Have you found anything at the crater sight, yet?"

~ø~

Korse scowled as he heard the woman's monotone voice enter his ear,

_**"Korse, I need your report."** _

With a smirk, he tore the earpiece out from it's resting place and crushed it in his hand. He tossed it to the dirt, clasping his hands behind his back as he strolled up behind Kobra Kid and Jet Star. The Doctor sat unconscious on the floor before them. The man smiled,

"Well, then, Doctor...let's see what you have in that brain of yours."

~ø~

Madam Director frowned as the feed suddenly cut out, her eyes narrowing,

"What are you up to...?"

She watched the static a few minutes more before shutting the monitor off, then quietly left the room.

~ø~

"So, you said you've fought these things before, right? How did you stop them?"

Party Poison glanced back at Clara as they continued walking.

She shrugged, rubbing her arms for warmth,

"The Doctor figured something out... _as usual_. Slowed them down with a bit of gold...and a game of chess."

" _Chess_?"

"Yeah, chess."

"Well," he coughed, shivering a bit as a cold breeze blew through him,

"Guess we're shit out of luck, then...unless you think they know _Chinese Checkers,_ too."

"Oh? You think you could take them?"

"Pssshht, honey I _know_ I could," he smirked turning back to the front,

"You're lookin' at the SoCal Chinese Checkers _Champion_. First grade..."

Clara nodded, a smile crossing her lips as she caught up to him,

"Oh? And what's a title like that get you?"

"A shitload of pogs, some beanie babies, a few lunchables...and a coupl'a hot play dates with the third graders. I was the shit with all the little ladies back in the day. The boys, too. I liked to keep my options open."

She laughed at that, shaking her head,

"Mmm, the _Playground Player_. Bet your parents were proud."

The red head laughed, glancing over at her with a grin,

"Yeah...yeah, _no_."

She frowned as his smile began to fade, and gently placed a hand on his arm,

"What really happened to them, Party Poison?"

He silenced for a moment, his head bowed.

Then, with a deep sigh, he shrugged and shoved one hand in his pocket,

"They live in Neo Pasadena...like I said. If you can call being hyped on pills and forgetting that the world ended _living_."

Noting the sad look on his face, she frowned,

"Do they still remember _you_?"

He said nothing.

They rounded a tall, rock formation, Party Poison beginning to cough. He staggered over to it and carefully sat down, leaning back with a sigh,

"Let's stop a minute...okay?"

Walking over, she sat down beside him and leaned back against the rock as well.

Shaking his head, looked to the sky, his hazel eyes sparkling in the starlight,

"We got separated during the Fires...all of Cali burned up. LA, San Diego, Sacramento...Hollywood. Everything. Gone. Nobody could figure out what happened, so the government closed it off. Quarantined us. They didn't want whatever happened here happening anywhere else."

"What was it," she frowned,

"Did they ever find out?"

"Dunno," he shrugged,

"But it was big... _whatever_ it was. Some people thought it was bombs. That's the general consensus. Others...seem to think a giant robot fell out of the sky. A lot of people started calling it 'Destroya'."

" _Destroya_?"

He nodded,

"It's pretty big with the bots. They treat it like Jesus. Swear it's gonna have a 'second coming' and all..."

"The bots? You mean robots? _Sentient_ robots?"

"Yeah," he smiled, nudging her with his elbow,

"Pretty impressive, huh? Bet they didn't have that back in _your_ time."

"My time," she shook her head, frowning,

"Y'mean 2013?"

Poison straightened at that, a confused look spreading across his face,

"I thought you were..."

"Thought I was what?"

They stared at each other silently a minute. Finally, he cleared his throat and shook his head,

"Anyway...it took months for me to get back in the city after the lock down. Better Living was on the forefront...everyone was downing pills, forgetting their fears...forgetting everything."

"Including your parents?"

Poison sighed, keeping his eyes forward,

"I made a promise to myself that day...that I wouldn't end up like that. That I wouldn't live my life in fear of feeling. I wouldn't lose touch with reality...I'd stay awake. Awake and unafraid..."

He leaned forward a bit, motioning to the gigantic pill on the back of his jacket,

" _'Party Poison'_."

After a minute, he began coughing again, and Clara frowned. Leaning back again, she spotted blood on his lips and straightened,

"Oi, you're really not okay, are you?"

He smiled, quickly wiping it away as he shook his head.

"Are you sick?"

Poison let out a hearty laugh at this, rubbing his eyes sorely,

"That's a _loaded_ statement, sweetheart. You're gonna have to be more specific."

He let out a pained groan. She swallowed hard as he began hacking again,

"You're...dying?"

"Aren't we all," he grinned again, holding his chest as the hacking turned wet.

She sat down across from him, gazing blankly at the dirt as she searched for something, _ANYTHING_ to say. She had nothing.

Shaking her head, Clara looked to him sadly,

"I'm sorry."

"Ah, don't cry for me Argentina," he swallowed, wiping more blood from his nose,

"I made my peace with it a long time ago."

They sat in awkward silence for a moment.

"So...how do you know?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, confused. She cleared her throat, anxiously rubbing at her arm,

"That... _you know_..."

The red head snorted as he stared at her, cracking a small smile,

"That I'm about to croak?"

She shifted uncomfortably; giving a short nod.

With a deep sigh, he pulled back the scarf around his neck, revealing the bright red, splotchy rash that she had seen earlier. Seeing the terrified look in her eye, he readjusted the scarf and covered it back up,

"It's called 'Radio Rash'. Don't worry. It ain't contagious."

"What is it," she asked, idly rubbing at her throat.

"Just a catchy name for radiation poisoning. It's...uh...it's pretty common out here in the Zones. Stay out in the elements too long and _ZAP_...! Radio Rash."

He smirked as he noted the fear on Clara's face,

"Don't worry. No doubt, Doc's box has got some magic _doohickey_ on you to keep you safe."

"Yeah, well," the dark-haired woman slumped, tilting her head to the side,

"Don't tell _her_ that. She might just take it back."

Poison raised an eyebrow at that and she smiled, shaking her head,

"Nothing, nevermind."

They sat in silence again, listening to the wind rustling in the trees for a few moments.

"That medicine...in Battery City...could it cure you?"

Party Poison straightened at that, shrugging as he began to stammer,  
"Pssshhht, I-I don't...I mean, _probably_ they have something, but-"

"Then, we could get some, yeah? Go buy it or steal it or whatever you _do_ out here and save you!"

Silently, he stood, shaking his head as he started away from her. She frowned,

"Why not? It's better than the alternative-!"

"It goes against everything I stand for," he spun on his heel, looking her right in the eye,

"Giving into BLI would mean giving up everything I am and I ain't doin' that."

"But," she shook her head, her eyes beginning to well with tears,

"It's your _life_ we're talking about! You can't just _give up_ -!"

"If it's my time, then it's my time," he shot back, cutting her off,

"There's no helping it. That's all there is to it."

He turned and started walking again.

"Aren't you afraid?"

She watched his fists clench at her words and his head bowed low. Turning, he offered her a sad smile and stretched his arms out to either side,

"Well... _yeah._ No one _wants_ to die...! But...just because you're afraid of something, doesn't mean you just stop doing what you're doing. You have to _keep running_. No matter what. You can't let fear...or _death_ stop you."

Her lip quivered as he walked back toward her and she shook her head,

"But...all those people you care about? That little girl-?"

A tear slid down her cheek as she trailed off, and he smiled, wiping it away with his finger,

"I made that promise to myself a long time ago. If I went back on it now, that _would_ be the end of me. I'd rather die as the person I am right now, then let them see the zombie I'd become..."

She nodded shortly, wiping at her eyes with a sad smile,

"Well, you're a lot _braver_ person than I am."

"No, I-uh," he snorted, shaking his head as gazed down at her,

"I'm _really_ not...'sides, you got some _balls_ on ya."

They both laughed.

The sudden sounds of an engine pulling from behind them drew their attention toward the road. Spotting a pair of headlights pulling up, Party Poison cursed and stepped in front of her, gun drawn,

"Stay behind me."

The van came to a whining stop and out stepped the driver, their cerulean eyes wide in shock.

They slowly stepped closer, Poison keeping his gun on him as he approached.

As they came into the light, Poison felt his heart stop.

The man looked just as shocked as he did.

"Poison," he breathed, his voice nearly a whisper on the air.

Party Poison straightened, gaping at the man in surprise,

" _Cola?_ "

~ø~

The Doctor groaned as he awoke on a cold, metallic floor. Pushing himself up, he spied Kobra Kid and Jet Star standing stock still as sentries by the door, barracading him from the outside. Slowly, he stood and swallowed hard, easing his way up to them,

"Kobra...Jet...you boys are still in there, aren't you?"

He reached into his coat as he approached, shuffling around for a moment. A look of panic crossed his face.

"Looking for this, _Doctor_?"

He spun to see a bald-headed man at the opposite side of the room. In his grasp, he waved the sonic screwdriver. Pocketing it, he smirked,

"Don't worry...you'll have your trinket back soon enough."

He began to pace the room, the Doctor keeping in tow as they glared each other down,

"So, tell me Doctor. How did you do it? Your little _magic trick_?"

The Doctor smiled, placing his hands behind his back as he strolled,

"Your name's Korse, correct? I think that's what I read. What makes you think I know magic, _Korse_?"

"Party Poison. The angels touched him," Korse stated bluntly,

"He should have been dead, but he's not."

"And how do you know about the angels," the Doctor frowned, an uneasy feeling settling in his hearts.

The Exterminator grinned, tapping the device on the side of his face,

"There's only so much information I can extract from this Cyberlink, Doctor. The Cybermen database is very limited. Especially when it comes down to you and your magic box..."

"It's actually not magic," the Doctor shrugged, scratching at his neck a little,

"More science, really. Kind of one and the same though, just science that hasn't been discovered, yet..."

Korse stared at him blankly. Swallowing hard, the Doctor straightened,

"Not a reader, all right-"

"You will tell me what I wish to know, Doctor."

The bald headed man stated, approaching him with a smirk on his face. The Doctor scowled, folding his arms across his chest,

"And what makes you think that?"

He frowned, feeling a set of strong arms wrap around him.

Glancing back, he eyed Kobra Kid and Jet Star holding him firmly in place.

"Well, you see," Korse replied, the Doctor stiffening at the sight of a small, mechanical bug in the bald man's palm,

"It's simple, really. In fact," he smiled, holding the bug next to the Doctor's cheek,

"You could almost say...it's quite _Clever_."

The bug writhed then and latched itself onto the Doctor's cheek.

He let out a horrific yell...


	6. Chapter 6

**Walk The Dead**

Girl sniffled as she sat next to the console, arms wrapped around her legs. She buried her face in her knees and squeezed her eyes shut. Where was Party Poison? Where was the Doctor? Where was _anyone_? Wiping her nose, she stood and toddled down the hallway. A single door stood before her. It was strange, as she was sure there had been more doors and pathways when she had first stepped inside. Cautiously throwing it open, she smiled as she laid eyes on Fun Ghoul. He was still unconscious, but that didn't matter. At least she wasn't alone, now.

Hurrying to his bedside, she sat down on the edge and looked him over. He was breathing steadily, but was still very pale. She took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. He squeezed back, but did not awaken. Glancing up at the ceiling, she smiled; a tear gliding down her cheek,

"Thank you."

The TARDIS hummed, chiming softly in return.

~ø~

"Poison?"

Poison gaped at him in shock, his hazel eyes wide,

"Cola?"

The ash-haired man smiled, bringing his hands up to his head as he let out a laugh,

"Oh my God, you're alive! Oh my God-"

He started forward, halting as the red head brought his gun up to eye level.

Party Poison narrowed his eyes, keeping his finger on the trigger,

"That's close enough."

"Poison," the man began, shaking his head in disbelief,

"Wha...what's the matter with you? It's _me_!"

"Bullshit, it is."

Clara nervously glanced back and forth between them, a deep frown on her face,

"Party Poison, who is he?"

"Agent Cherri-Cola," the ash-haired man answered for him,

"I'm a friend."

"Yeah, right," Poison snipped, his eyes clouding with tears of rage,

"I ain't buyin' what your sellin' pal, so keep walkin'!"

"Poison-"

"No, don't you ' _Poison_ ' me," the fiery-haired man shouted, his voice beginning to crack,

"You may look like Cola, but you _ain't_ him...! Cherri-Cola died three months ago when the Raygun Jones show got popped, so troll a little harder, why don't you-!?"

"What!? I wasn't even _there_ , Poison," Cola shouted back, shaking his head,

"I was with Hot Chimp, remember!?"

"No," he snarled, closing his eyes,

"You _couldn't_ have been. She was down at Wolfblood Beach-"

"Yeah, with _me_!"

"And why would she have been there with _you_?"

Cherri-Cola rolled his eyes at that,

"Oh, you know, we were just having a spa day. Why the fuck do you _think_!?"

They both went silent. Clara cleared her throat, piping up softly from behind them,

"I'm gonna guess, you _weren't_ having a spa day?"

Poison swallowed hard, waving the gun a bit as he spoke,

"Then, who was that on the radio," he spat, shaking his head,

"The guy with _your_ voice at _your_ fucking station, who was that!?"

"Like I know," Cola screamed,

"Last I heard from you, you told me you were gonna cover the Raygun Jones show. Then boom! Raygun Jones is dust and you along with 'em! I thought you were _dead_ , Poison!"

"And you didn't come check? _Really_ , Cola?"

"I couldn't-"

"Why not?"

Cola bowed his head, his eyes dropping to the floor,

"Because..."

The red head glared at him silently.

His voice grew quiet and he almost sounded ashamed,

"I got-I got in a bad way, okay?"

"A bad way, _how_?"

The man sighed and ran a hand through his greasy hair,

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Party Poison straightened at that, noting the shame in Cola's eyes,

"You went _Rat,_ didn't you?"

They both went silent. Clara took this time to clear her throat and stepped up beside Party Poison,

"I'm not entirely sure what's happening here, but I take it 'going _Rat_ ' _isn't_ a good thing...?"

"Not everybody can be a saint like you, Poison," Cola quipped, shaking his head as tears filled his eyes,

"I got weak! I thought my best friend was dead! The last thing I wanted...was-"

"-to _feel_ anything?"

They stared at each other. Cola nodded shamefully,

"Yeah."

With a snort, Poison started forward, Clara gasping as he slammed his fist into Cola's jaw. Cola tumbled to the dirt, his face on fire as Poison screamed at him,

"I spent the past six years thinking your death was on _me_! _Six. Years._ And not _once_ did I ever think my life would be better if I couldn't feel it, 'cause guess what?"

He pulled the man up by the collar of his vest, glaring him straight in the eyes,

"If I had stopped feeling...if I let myself forget...? That would've meant forgetting _you_ and that's something I could _never_ live with."

Cola shook his head at that, a look of confusion flashing across his face,

" _Six years_? What are you talking about?"

The red head froze.

Clara glanced back and forth between them, frowning as a strange sound filled her ears. She turned to look, her eyes widening,

"Y'know, I'd hate to break up this lovely reunion, but I think we have company!"

Glancing over, Poison quickly let Cola loose, tossing him to the ground as a laser shot out from nowhere,

"Get down!"

A white hot laser crashed against the van, miraculously leaving only a burn mark in it's wake. He ran to Clara then, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the vehicle,

"Quick, get in!"

"The van this time, yeah?"

He smirked as he slid open the side door,

"Yeah, the _van_ this time!"

Shutting her in, he then jogged back over to Cherri Cola, who was still pulling himself up and grabbed him by the arm; dragging him to his feet,

"C'mon!"

Clambering into the van, they sped away from the scene, the Cybermen hot on their trail. Poison rolled down his window as they sped off, firing a few shots at them. It did no good. He pulled back inside and turned to Clara, eyes wide in rage,

"You didn't tell me they could fucking use guns!"

She rolled her eyes, gasping as one of the lasers caused a dent to form in the rear doors,

"Oh, sorry. Must've slipped my mind! They can use guns! _Happy, now_!?"

A loud jolt rattled the van again, and he climbed out of the passenger seat and into the back,

"You still got that bazooka back here, Cola?"

"Yeah, it's under the tarp."

Nudging Clara out of the way, Party Poison pulled a long-barrelled bazooka out from under said tarp, and inched his way toward the doors. Sitting flat on the floor, he kicked the doors open, which resulted in them flying off completely. Clara raised an eyebrow,

"Did you mean to do that?"

"Shut up."

Resting the bazooka on his shoulder, he smirked and took aim at the approaching Cybermen,

"Fire in the hole."

The hot pink charge sailed through the air at full speed, colliding with the Cyberman at front within seconds. It exploded upon impact, taking down a few others around it. Clara and Poison laughed as the smoke spiralled upward, and Clara leaned down, looking over his shoulder,

"Do you think that got 'em all?"

They paused for a moment, waiting quietly. A sudden boom sounded, then, and out of the thick smoke, a single Cyberman zoomed up to the back of the van. It grabbed the gun, wrenching it from Poison's hands as it tossed it out of the vehicle. Clara let out a gasp as it suddenly reached back in, grabbing Poison by the ankles. She quickly latched onto him as it tried to pull him out, keeping a firm grip on his hands,

"Party Poison!"

The red head grunted as it pulled hard at his legs. It felt as though they were being ripped from their sockets. He felt Clara's grip beginning to slip, his gloves sliding ever so slightly. She let out a gasp as she lost grip of his right hand, quickly making sure to keep both hands on the left. The Cyberman continued to pull,

" **You will be upgraded...** "

Poison frowned at that, trying to break his legs free of it's grasp. It only generated more pain. He cursed. At this rate, it was going to rip him out of the van, and Clara with him. He paused and glanced up at her. Her hands were wrapped tight on his left glove. His eyes widened,

"Clara, let go!"

She frowned at him, shaking her head,

"Are you crazy!? That thing'll kill you!"

"It's okay!"

"No," she shrieked, keeping her grip firm,

"No, it is _not_ okay! Don't you go thinking this is an easy way out! I am not havin' you die on me any sooner than you have to!"

Cola frowned as he heard those words spill from her mouth and glanced back in the rearview mirror at them. What was that supposed to mean?

With an audible groan, Poison swung his right hand over and unclasped the buckle on his left glove,

"Fine!"

She let out a shriek as it slid off, watching helplessly as he was dragged right out of the van. Crawling to the door frame, she reached for him, her eyes wide,

"Party Poison!"

He seemed to be sailing in slow motion at the Cyberman, his heart rate skyrocketing as it reached for him with it's other hand,

" **You will be upgraded..."**

Swallowing hard, he grinned and grabbed hold of it, pulling himself forward,

"Not today, motherfucker."

He reached up, slamming his hand down on it's chest. It began to spark and seize, seeming to lose control of it's limbs. Falling backwards, the Cyberman landed on it's back and Party Poison, being flung from it's grasp, landed with a thud on the asphalt as he rolled away. The van came screeching to a halt, and Clara quickly jumped out, running passed the downed Cyberman and to the fiery-haired man,

"Party Poison!"

He groaned as he pushed himself up, rolling over onto his back as he coughed. She knelt down beside him, her eyes wide,

"Are you okay!?"

To this, he smirked, and gasped deeply, slightly winded,

"Man...I'm having a rough day..."

Shaking her head, she glanced back at the Cyberman, then back to him,

"H-How? How did you do that?"

With a groan, he sat up, Clara helping him to his feet,

"If you'da let me finish...I would have told you, 'It's okay...I have a _plan_.'"

Holding up his left hand, he waggled his ring finger, on which set a golden ring. Clara smiled, letting out a relieved laugh,

"Your wedding ring..."

The red head smirked at this, saying nothing. Her smile soon turned to a look of rage as she gave him a hard shove in the chest, making him cough,

"THAT WAS THE DUMBEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!"

He took a step back, startled as she continued screaming at him,

"What if it hadn't worked!? What would you have done, then!?"

He snorted, shrugging slightly,

"Died. _Probably_."

A dark scowl crossed her face as she glared him in the eyes,

"That's not funny."

"You know," he shook his head, patting her on the shoulder as he hobbled back toward the van,

"I'm beginning to think you ain't got a sense'a humour..."

Cola hopped down out of the van and jogged toward him, meeting him halfway,

"Holy shit...are you okay!?"

"Yeah, never better, _beautiful_."

Reaching the van, he turned back to him, raising an eyebrow,

"Hey, Cola...you know where Tommy's set up at? I think I got an idea..."

"Yeah, I think he's about 20 minutes from here."

"Then, let's go," he began, climbing inside,

"I got a favour to call in."

~ø~

They arrived about a half an hour later at a run down shack.

Approaching the building, Poison coughed, motioning to the both of them as he tugged at his scarf,

"Follow my lead."

Cola nodded, and the trio proceeded to enter with caution.

Behind the desk, a man, whom reminded Clara very much of the used car salesmans she had only seen ever represented in comedies, stood reading a magazine. He appeared bored.

Party Poison cleared his throat at this point, to which the man looked up and grinned,

"Ah, if it isn't a sight for sore eyes! Party Poison," he straightened, leaning forward on the counter with a grin,

"I'm almost done with your action figure...just need a few more... _measurements_ to make it _perfect_ , if ya know what I mean."

Party Poison smirked as he strolled up to the counter,

"Maybe later, Tommy. Right now, I was wondering if you had anything we could use."

Tommy glanced behind him, eying Cherri Cola and Clara in the doorway. He narrowed his eyes at the woman, a scowl on his face,

"Who's she? Your new _Crash Queen_ of the month?"

Briefly glancing back at Clara, Poison smiled,

"Why? You jealous?"

An annoyed scowl crossed the salesman's face as he turned back to him and Poison laughed, leaning on the counter,

"Ah, c'mon Tommy...you know there's only room for one _Crash Queen_ in my black little heart..."

Tommy's eyes lit up as Poison leaned in closer to him, eying him up and down,

"Oh, yeah...?"

"Yeah," the fiery-haired man whispered, an almost seductive tone in his voice as he gazed into Tommy's eyes. He then cleared his throat and smacked his hand on the table,

"And that's _me._ Now, whaddya got?"

Tommy scowled at that, folding his arms as he stood up straight,

"What did you have in mind?"

Poison smiled, shooting him a wink,

"A couple bazookas would be nice. And some gold if you got any."

"Ain't got any gold," Tommy began with a groan, heading toward the back,

"But I'll see what I can do for you in the blaster depot, just one sec."

The red head smiled as Tommy disappeared, leaning back against the counter as Clara and Cola approached,

"If Tommy can scrounge us up some bazookas we might have a chance at saving Doc. The more firepower we got, the better our chances, right?"

Cola frowned, folding his arms,

"What are those things exactly?"

"Cybermen," he and Clara replied simultaneously.

"Cyber-who?"

"Cybermen," Poison began again, shrugging slightly,  
"Kinda like the Borg. They're a-"

"-cybernetic race," Clara interjected, stepping up beside Poison,

"Hellbent on-"

"-converting the entire population," Poison continued glancing over the counter again,

"Into an-"

"Army of emotionless drones," she finished.

Cola glanced back and forth between them, confusion and terror mixing on his face,

" _Okaaaaaay..._ "

Clara then frowned, folding her arms as she glanced up at Poison,

"So, how do you know this Tommy person will give us weapons?"

"Oh, he owes me a few favours..."

"Favours," she raised an eyebrow, eying him up and down,

"What kind of favours?"

Poison turned to her, shooting her a wink as he gave a knowing smirk,

"Well, ain't we just a little Miss Nosy Rosy?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off as Tommy returned from the back room, two large, white rifles in his hands,

"No bazookas, but these rifles pack just as much of a punch. Scored 'em off a couple of Dracs that got lost out here in the Zones."

He set them on the table, quickly slapping Poison's hand as he reached for one,

"Not so fast."

Poison frowned at this, and Tommy sighed, picking at his fingernails with a sly smile,

"We gotta talk prices."

The red head let out a groan at this, rubbing his head sorely,

"C'mon, Tommy. You owe me."

"Owe you for what?"

Clearing his throat, he leaned forward, his voice a low whisper,

"Hyperthrust. 5 months ago. Mad Gear. I showed you a good time, _remember_?"

Tommy smirked at that, eyes travelling downward as he, too, leaned on the counter,

"Oh...how could I _forget_?"

"Well then, what's your problem," he began, biting his lip with a grin,

"How about you give us those guns and we call it even?"

He sighed at that, leaning his cheek on his palm,

"Yeah...but you see, you already called in that favour three months ago when you boys needed that water to take to Gertie's."

Poison groaned, his head bowing low,

"Shit."

"Yeah, _shit_ , is right. Now, I know Gertie got zapped and that's a tragedy and all, but a transaction is a transaction, and _you_ , my friend, are out of _freebies_."

Poison sighed then, scratching his head with a frown,

"Fine. What is it? Name your price."

Thinking for a moment, the greasy-haired salesman tapped a finger to his lips as he strutted around the counter. He looked to Clara, then Cola, then back to Party Poison. He nodded, eying the bit of sparkle on the man's left hand,

"That ring'll do just nicely."

Clara straightened and stepped toward him, glaring at Tommy in shock,

"Oi! You can't just ask for a thing like that! It's not for-"

"Deal."

She stopped, watching in silence as he slid it off of his finger and slammed it down on the counter.

Swiping it up with a chuckle, Tommy gave it a look over, then went back into the other room,

"Pleasure doing business with you."

As he disappeared into the back, Poison grabbed the rifles, and Clara stepped up to him, a concerned look on her face,

"That was your wedding ring..."

"In case you haven't noticed, _sweetheart_ ," he coughed, handing one of the guns to her,

"I'm not married anymore."

He pushed passed her then and headed toward the door, breezing by Cola without so much as a glance. Shaking his head, the ash-haired man followed him outside, shouting to him in confusion,

" _Married_? All right, what the fuck is going on here? Since when have you been the type to commit?"

"Since I got _married_ , jackass, try to keep up."

"Yeah," Cola began, grabbing Poison by the arm,

"And when was that? I ain't ever seen you with no ladybirds out here-"

"Well, maybe that's 'cause it ain't a lady, you ever thought of that?"

"Oh, so, you and Ghoul got somethin' you need to tell me?"

Poison snorted, nodding shortly,

"Maybe!"

Cola stared at him blankly, to which the red head faltered,

" _No..._ "

"Then, who is she, Poison," Cola shouted, shaking his head,

"How long have you been married, and how come I don't know her?"

With a cough, Poison nodded shortly at Clara. Cola turned to her with a frown,

"It's you? You're his wife? I mean...it makes sense, I _guess_ -"

"What," she shrieked, shaking her head wildly as she stormed over to the fiery-haired man,

"No! No, no, no, I am not married to _him_! I've got better taste than _that_ -"

"Aw, thanks for the compliment there, _peaches_ ," Party Poison growled, rolling his eyes at her,

"You're real _sweet_."

"I'm not gonna be your cover," she shook her head,

"I don't even know why you'd need one. Bev sounded lovely."

Cola smiled, clapping his hands with a cheer,

"So, her name's Bev?"

Clara nodded, turning to Cola with a smile,  
"Kindergarten teacher."

"Aww," Cola grinned, an almost mocking tone in his voice as he watched the Poison's cheeks turn as red as his hair,

"How _sweet_. Look at you, _ball and chain_! Now, where is little _Mrs. Poison_ , I wanna meet her."

"She's dead."

Cola froze at his words, seeing the look of anguish in his eyes. The red-head glared at him, fighting off the tears that threatened to come,

"Happy, now, ass wagon?"

With a harsh cough, he then turned and stormed back toward the van.

Clara sighed and started after him, a sigh escaping her as she stepped up behind him,

"You don't have to be like that, you know."

"Like _what_..."

"You know," she nudged him on the arm, cracking a smile,  
"Such a _killjoy_."

Setting the other rifle down in the van, he turned to Clara with a scowl,

"My wife is an off limits topic of conversation. I told you that...you know, I don't even know _why_ I told you all that, 'cause quite frankly it is _non'ya beeswax_ , but what I said, I thought I said in confidence. It ain't for you to talk about...and I thought of allpeopleyou would understand that."

"You act like you're so tough," she said, shaking her head with a deep sigh,

"But deep down, you're afraid. What is it you're so afraid of? Being seen as a human being?"

Licking his lips, he shook his head and turned away, heading to the passenger's side,

"Let's hurry up and get this over with. The faster we save Doc, the faster both of you can get the fuck outta my life."

She closed her eyes and bowed her head shamefully as he slammed the door behind him.

~ø~

"Well, now, what have we got here, ey," he smiled, his purple, tweed coat thumping against him as he paced about the crater in excitement,

"California, 2019. The age of _paranoia_ and _containment_! How exciting! Suppressing emotions and confining the soul, _oh yes_..."

He paused, the twinkling apparatus on his face beginning to whirr as it sorted through file after file of Battery City practices,

"No more feelings...no more _individuality_. Yes, I think I like this place...I think I like this place _very_ much."

~ø~

They had been driving for what felt like hours, now. Party Poison coughed and scratched mindlessly at his neck, gazing out the window,

"How much further till we reach the crater?"

Cola snorted, shaking his head,

"We're not going to the crater."

The red head scowled as he pulled up next to a large, metal structure,

"What do you mean!? We gotta go save Doc."

Clara frowned as she glanced up, her eyes filling with concern as Cola turned the vehicle off.

The ash-haired man shook his head and leaned back,

"I'm not going there. Not with you in this condition."

"What _condition_ -"

"You're exhausted," Cola interrupted, keeping his eyes ahead,

"It's written all over you. You need sleep."

"I don't _need_ anything-"

"Shut up."

Throwing open his door, he hopped out and started passed the structure,

"You're getting some rest whether you like it or not. Besides, your _wife_ there needs some food in her."

Party Poison rolled his eyes at that, glancing back at Clara briefly. She offered a smile.

Shaking his head, he climbed out of the van. He briefly slumped against it as his feet touched the earth. It felt as though all of the strength in his body were leaving him. Seeing him like this, Clara quickly clambered out and hurried over to him, eyes wide,

"You okay?"

With a groan, he pushed away from the van and hobbled toward the run down home,

"I'm _fine_."

Following after him, she glanced over at the structure. It looked like a gigantic metal face.

As they stepped inside, Clara coughed, a torrent of dust colliding with her lungs,

"What is this place?"

"The Nest," Cola began, looking around for the light switch,

"Killjoys all over use it as a rest stop."

"Ah, so you're kind of like _squatters_ , then?"

Cola smiled as he glanced back at her,

"I see why he likes you."

She stopped at that, a frown striking her as she reached the center of the room.

A sudden whirring sounded and the lights flickered on, Poison emerging from the back,

"Found the fuse box."

Clara turned to him with a laugh,

"Let there be light...!"

He rolled his eyes and walked away from her, heading to where Cola was. She sighed,

"'Kay."

Striding up to him, Poison cleared his throat, folding his arms,

"One hour. Then, we go to the crater."

"Fine with me," Cola said, watching silently as he walked toward one of the other rooms, slamming the door behind him. Turning back to Clara, Cola offered a smile,

"All right. How's about we get you some grub?"

~ø~

Standing with his back to the door, Party Poison tiredly eyed the bed a few feet away. He swallowed hard, and trudged over to it, flinging himself onto it with a sigh. Gazing at the ceiling for a moment, he closed his eyes, the sounds of gunfire and the roar of crashing waves reaching his ears.

_'"Go, go, go!"'_

-ø-

_They leapt from the boat, rushing to the shore as a hail of bullets rained down on them. He barrelled his way through the carnage, diving for a barricade of raised sand. The explosions echoed in his ears, disorienting and loud. He turned over, spotting a younger man a few feet away._

_He was hiding behind a post of wood and wire._

_"Benny! Benny, come on!"_

_The younger man swallowed hard, pushing himself up from his spot. He charged forward, until to be shot square in the head. He fell to the ground, lifeless. Eyes wide, he started to rise from his post without thinking, a few of his fellow soldiers holding him back,_

_"No...NO!"_

_**"Michael, sweetheart, wake up!"** _

-ø-

His eyes shot open fast then and he glanced around. No one was there with him. Sighing deeply, he shook his head and rolled over onto his side, burying his face in the pillow.


	7. Chapter 7

**Another Memory **

"I can't get the heater working," Cola sighed, coming up from the basement with a pair of blankets,

"Here."

He tossed one to Clara who took it with a smile,

"Thanks."

With a shiver, she pulled it tight around her and followed him into the next room.

"You hungry?"

" _Starving,_ " she enthusiastically replied.

They entered the kitchen and he stepped toward the cabinet, opening it with a sigh,

"Well, let's see...you got a choice. Beef and gravy or..."

He set two cans down on the counter in front of her,

" _Chicken_ and gravy."

"Is that _dog_ food," she queried as he started the stove, eying the cans curiously.

"No," he smirked, popping them open with a grunt,

"It's _gourmet_ dog food."

She sucked at her teeth with a sigh, sarcasm dripping from her lips,

"Shame. More of a _Fancy Feast_ girl, myself."

Cola snickered at that, smiling to himself as he dumped the cans into a pot,

"Eh, good one...!"

Firing up the broiler, he shook his head,

"So, where'd you come from anyway, Miss-?"

"Oswald," she stated, cringing in disgust as she listened to the gravy pop and bubble in the pot,

"Clara Oswald. I'm from Lancashire."

He frowned, raising an eyebrow as he stirred the contents of the pot,

"So...you're a hobbit, then?"

She frowned at this confused,

"What? No...no, _Lancashire_. It's in _England._ "

"I thought it was in _Middle Earth_."

Biting her lip, she heaved a deep sigh and shook her head,

"Never mind."

Cola snickered at that, shaking his head with a grin

"Relax, I'm just fuckin' with you."

"Right," she groaned, strolling back out into the main room,

"Of _course_ you are. Seems that's all anyone's been doing since I got here."

She sat down on the sofa, a cloud of dust puffing up around her. She gagged, coughing sharply as the tiny particles clogged her throat.

"So, how long have you and Poison been together," Cola called from the kitchen.

Clara quickly shook her head, still coughing,

"We're not...together...actually. In fact, I only just met him last night."

"Really," Cola came into the room, two steaming bowls in hand,

"Huh. From the way he was acting I thought you two might be..."

"Might be, what?"

Handing her one of the bowls, he shook his head and sat down in the armchair nearby,

"Nothing...I mean, he was just pretty cozy with you, is all I'm saying."

Clara frowned as she glanced down at the contents of the bowl. Cooked or not, it still looked and smelled like dog food. She turned her eyes back to Cherri Cola,

"Is that unusual?"

"For him," Cola nodded, shovelling a spoonful into his mouth,

"Yeah."

Setting the bowl down on the coffee table, Cola wiped his mouth and continued,

"Poison...he's slow to trust people. I mean, on the surface he'll reach out and everything seems fine, but...it takes _years_ to actually get it. He still doesn't trust _me_ all that much...probably for the best."

"You seem all right to me," Clara smiled.

The ash-haired man smirked at that, bowing his head with a snort. He then turned his gaze back to her, smiling fondly,

"You are _definitely_ his type."

To this, Clara giggled nervously, a bright red blush flooding her cheeks as she dug her spoon into the goop,

"Probably because I remind him of his dead wife."

She took a bite and gagged, immediately spitting it back into the bowl,

"Ugh! That is foul!"

He laughed at that, shaking his head as she wiped her mouth and pushed it away from her.

~ø~

"All right now...where to begin...where to begin!?"

He spun in a circle, tapping his fingers to his temples. After a moment, he snapped his fingers and jabbed a finger to the bald man standing a few feet away,

"Korsey! I want you and your _Vlads_ to take a few cybermites back to Batt City! Introduce them to the populace! Let's get this army going, ey?"

Korse frowned, the apparatus on his face beginning to blink,

"I believe you mean _Dracs,_ sir."

The lanky man halted, frowning thoughtfully,

"Isn't that what I said?"

Striding over, he put an arm around the man and walked him back out of the crater,

"Well, never mind about the semantics, just hop to it. On the double! I want this town converted, A.S.A.P! R.O.F.L! D.F.T.B.A!"

Korse again frowned, and the lanky man groaned, rolling his eyes,

"Just go. Get it done."

With a nod, Korse turned and motioned to a pair of masked men nearby. They left the crater and climbed into a sleek, black car with a disturbing decal of a smiling face on it's door; driving off with a squeal from the tires. He smiled at this, adjusting his bow tie with a chuckle.

_"You can't win, you know that."_

He continued to smile,

"Oh, hate to break it to you, _Doctor..._ but I already have _._ "

~ø~

_**"Very soon, all of Battery City will be under control of the Cyber Legion..."** _

"Any plans tonight?"

The sentry nodded as his replacement arrived,

"Yep. Thinking of heading down to the Lobby to let off some steam. I hear the new droids are _amazing_."

"The Blue ones? Yeah, they're pretty great. I still prefer the Reds, though."

"Yeah, I hear you. Shame they got discontinued."

"Right?"

The two paused, turning to each other as they heard the strangest sound of metallic rumbling in the distance.

"Do you hear that," one of them queried curiously.

"Yeah, I do."

They both turned to the tunnel and glanced inside, eyes widening beneath their masks as they spotted what looked to be a rush of silverfish flooding toward them.

_**"They'll have no choice, you see. It's either convert...or die."** _

~ø~

_"But you're forgetting something very, VERY important."_

He smirked, placing his hands behind his back as he paced,

"Oh? And what's that? The _ace_ up your sleeve?"

He smirked, chuckling softly,

"You think your dear old friend, _Michael Milligram,_ can still save you? He can't even save _himself_! The poor bastard's got one foot in the grave and the other is steadily losing ground! You and I _both_ know that, so what do you possibly think he can still do?"

_"He's a lot stronger than you give him credit for."_

"Oh, is he, now," he folded his arms, gazing up at the starless, night sky,

"Because you know what I think? I think...you're just feeling a pang of guilt. Wanna build him up like he actually _means_ something because you know, you _know_ , how it's all gonna end. How insignificant his existence _really_ is...! You know it's quite tragic, Doctor. How you've built him up to feel so special, all the while knowing it's all gonna end with his brain looking like a bad, _t_ _eriyaki stir fry_..."

The voice in his head went silent and he smirked, bringing his arms out to the side,

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

With a deep breath, he turned back for the satellite, heading inside,

"Stop kidding yourself. Your precious _Party Poison_ isn't coming back to save you. In fact, he's probably got off with your _Impossible Girl_ and run off into the sunset! They're such a perfect match, you know...what with the inevitably _tragic_ fate that lies ahead of them."

_"Stop it."_

"Oh, did I touch a nerve," he grinned, beginning to snicker,

" _Sorry_. Just-Just answer me this, _Doctor_ , just one thing...? How long _do_ you plan on keeping them in the dark? Why, knowing when and how they are going to die, or rather, _how many times,_ must be awfully exhausting to keep secret..."

He received no reply. With a giggle, he twirled around, the apparatus on his face beginning to whirr again,

"Nothing to say? _Still_? I expected as much. Secrets are the only thing you know how to _keep_ anymore, anyway... why just ask _Donna Noble_."

He snickered again, pulling at his coat with a smug smile,

"Oh, that's right...you _can't._ "

Stepping up to the burnt console, he placed his hands upon the controls and smiled, watching it flicker to life,

"Well, then...let's see, now. What fun can we have here?

The console whirred to life...

~ø~

"Well," Cola began, tossing the bowls into the sink,

"Hour's up. Guess it's time."

Clara nodded, following him to the room Poison had gone into,

"Gotta wake his _Majesty_..."

He snickered at that.

Opening the door, Clara gasped softly. Cola straightened, rushing quickly to the bed,

"Poison!?"

He was white as a sheet, the dark circles around his eyes making them seem sunken. Blood trickled from his nose and lips. Was he breathing?

Clara covered her mouth as she watched Cola check for his pulse, swallowing hard as she began to shake,

"I-Is he...?"

Leaning down over his mouth, Cola listened for a moment, letting out a sigh of relief,

"He's breathing, but his pulse is weak. And he's burning up."

Grabbing his face with one hand, he gently patted at his cheek with the other,

"Poison? Poison, c'mon, wake up!"

Stepping closer, Clara could see that his fist was wrapped tightly around the wooden rosary that dangled from his wrist. Shaking him more forcefully, now, Cola grit his teeth; cursing as he eyed the bright red rash lurking beneath Poison's scarf,

"Is that...is that what I think it is?"

He turned to Clara, his eyes beginning to tear up,

"Did Poison say anything about this?"

The dark-haired woman nodded shortly.

His heart began to race,

"Did he tell you what it was?"

She nodded again,

"He said it was somethin' called...Radio Rash."

Letting out a soft curse, Cola stood up from the bedside and paced to the other side of the room, running his hands through his hair. He breathed loudly, in and out through the nose, as he shook his head,

" _Dammit_...God fucking _dammit_..."

Clara stepped over to the bed, then, and placed her hand on Poison's head. His skin felt clammy and hot. Cola ruffled his hair angrily, turning to her with a shout,

"No wonder he was acting so damn tired. He's here dying but was he gonna tell _me_ that, _no_ -"

She swallowed hard, beginning to stammer,

"I-I don't think that matters right now-"

"Of course...of-fucking-course, he tells _you,_ some _stranger_ , but he can't even tell his best friend-"

"You weren't around," she shouted, bolting to her feet,

"And from what I heard you haven't _been_ around, so don't start gettin' pissy with me, _you_! And I hardly see how it matters, right now, _anyway_!"

The ash-haired man turned to the window and bowed his head as she continued,

"We have to help him! Wake him up, do _somethin'_! We can't just stand here and let him die like this!"

"Well, what do you suggest," he snapped, turning to her with his fists on his hips,

"Because I've got nothin'!"

"Water, first of all," she stated sharply, folding her arms,

"Go get some. And a rag. We have to bring his fever down."

He stared at her a minute, causing her to shout,

" _Now_!"

Promptly, he ran from the room, and Clara sat back down on the bed.

With a sigh, she pressed her hand back to his head, brushing sweat-ridden strand of hair from his face,

"Oi, you. Hang in there, okay? You're not dyin' on me, yet...do you hear me?"

His hand twitched as she touched his arm, tightening around the rosary in his grasp...

~ø~

_**"You made me love you...~"** _

_-ø-_

_They were surrounded by a room full of people in fine church clothes. Standing in front of him, she smiled and held out her hand,_

_"C'mon...!"_

_He swallowed hard and took it, letting her lead him to the dance floor. She draped her arms around his neck, the white veil on her head sparkling in the overhead lights._

_**"I didn't wanna do it, I didn't wanna do it...~"** _

_"You know I'm not the type for this sort'a thing," he coughed, glancing around nervously._

_"Yeah, well, too bad," she smiled, running her fingers through his hair,_

_"The first dance always goes to the bride and groom...besides, they'd never let us leave if we didn't."_

_"Oh," he smirked, whispering softly into her ear,_

_"And where did you have in mind,_ _**Mrs. Milligram** _ _?"_

_"Anywhere but here," she purred, her eyes dancing as she gazed up at him,_

_"I just want you alone."_

_"How about the back of a jeep?"_

_She snorted at that, letting out a loud cackle as he dipped her backward._

_**"You made me want you. And all the time you knew it, I guess you always knew it...~"** _

_After their dance, the pair snuck into the hall and glanced back at the festivities. Grabbing his hand, she giggled and dragged him toward the exit,_

_"C'mon, before they catch us!"_

_He smirked as they raced to the car, glancing over at her as they quickly got in,_

_"You think they'll notice that we left our own reception?"_

_She smiled, inching closer to him with a throaty laugh,_

_"Oh,_ _**Mr. Milligram** _ _...I think they expect it."_

_**"Give me, give me what I cry for...~"** _

_Climbing on top of him, she giggled as his eyes widened, and leaned down; brushing her lips to his. He smiled, running his hands up her thighs. The kiss broke as she popped his shirt open, and she bit her lip, trailing her fingers down his chest and toward his pants. This made his heart race and he snorted, gazing deeply into her eyes as a stupid grin crossed his face,_

_"You know...this is gonna make it awfully hard for me to drive, ma'am."_

_**"You know you got the brand o' kisses, that I'd die for...~"** _

_Unfastening his belt, she giggled and whipped it off of him, pushing him back against his seat,_

_"Who said anything about driving?"_

_She leaned down to nibble at his ear and he growled playfully, holding onto her tightly as he closed his eyes,_

_"Mmm,_ _**Mrs. Milligram** _ _...you_ _**are** _ _a naughty girl..."_

_Hearing something strange outside, he opened them again and glanced over her shoulder. There, standing by the church, stood a stone angel. It gazed at them silently, a malicious smile on it's carved face. He gripped her tighter, his focus remaining on the angel. If he took his eyes off of it...even for a second..._

**'"We're not coming."**

**"What? Why not!?"'**

_His nostrils flared. His breathing; rapid. The angel seemed to be growing closer, even though he was staring right at it. The world around him began to blur and twist. The grinding of gravel drowned everything out, even the delightful sound of her softly sighing in his ear._

**'"Michael, please...if you love me, you'll go."**

**"I...I don't wanna live without you."'**

_She shifted at this point, coming around to look at him. As their gazes met, he stiffened, watching her doe brown eyes solidify into stone._

_**"You know you made me love you...~"** _

-ø-

Feeling something cold and wet on his cheek, Party Poison groaned, and weakly pulled away from it. He could hear someone shouting in the distance. A woman's voice.

_"Oi! I think he's coming to!"_

His eyes fluttered open and he frowned. Everything was hazy; hazy and hot. It hurt to keep them open, but he did so anyway. Because that voice... _that voice_.

She came back into his line of sight, her familiar, doe brown eyes as warm and inviting as he remembered.

_"Can you hear me?"_

She was here. She was actually here.

And wearing that powder blue dress that he liked so much.

He felt himself begin to smile, tears filling his eyes. Feeling her hand on his cheek, he weakly grabbed for it.

She smiled in return He couldn't believe it.

Swallowing hard, he struggled to summon his voice,

"Bev...?"

~ø~

"Bev...?"

Clara's smile fell as the name left his lips. Her face felt hot. She wasn't even sure why.  
Had she thought he was smiling at her?

Cola came rushing into the room, nodding to her as he hurried to the bed,

"Help me get him up. We're about to have company."

Clara frowned as she turned to the window, her eyes widening as she spotted the small army marching toward the building. Quickly, she hopped to her feet, allowing Cherri Cola to pull Party Poison to his feet. He stood straight for a brief moment, his eyes narrowed as he scowled at them.

Clara swallowed hard as she reached the door,

"Can he even _walk_?"

The ash-haired man glanced over just in time to see Poison's eyes roll back into his head. He hit the floor with a loud thud, to which Cola swallowed hard,

"Nope."

~ø~

Quickly carrying him to the van, Cola laid him in the back and nodded to Clara,

"Keep an eye on him!"

Frowning, she shook her head and climbed into the back with him,

"Why? What's he gonna do? Get up and start _dancing_!?"

Hopping into the driver's seat, Cola peeled away from the metal structure; leaving the Nest in a dust cloud.

Glancing in the rear view mirror, he cursed,

"Grab a gun. They're coming fast."

Nodding shortly, she took one of the white rifles and crawled closer to the doors. Propped on her knees, she took aim, spotting a Cyberman approaching. She fired a shot, missing it by a mile. Cocking it quickly, she fired another round. Again, she missed. Her eyes widened. It was coming up too fast.

Seeing this in the mirror, Cola quickly turned off road, swerving to try and lose it. The jolt caused Clara to lose her balance and she shrieked. She began falling forward with nothing to catch herself on. She was falling, head first, toward dust and gravel speeding passed at 90 mph. It hit her then, that she was going to die, or at least be proper mangled to a point that she wished she was dead.

Her heart stopped.

" _Clara!_ "

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her back in. Glancing up, she laid eyes on Party Poison. He grabbed the rifle weakly, but did not pry it from her hands; instead, helping her to aim,

"Shoot."

Nodding, she pulled the trigger, hearing him grunt as the kick knocked her against him. The charge struck the Cyberman square in the chest. It began to spark, falling to the ground in a crumpled heap. Another one began to race toward them, and quickly, he cocked the gun for her, adjusting her shot,

"Again."

Taking the shot, the charge collided with this one's head, blowing it clear from it's shoulders.

They continued this process until there were none left; leaving the rifle's battery completely drained. Sitting back, Clara panted breathlessly, her heart pounding so hard she was sure it was about to erupt from her chest,

"That was close..."

Pulling away from her, Party Poison sat back against the wall as a coughing fit struck him. She spun around at the sound and quickly set the rifle down,

"Oi...oi! Party Poison!"

Catching him as he began to slump over , she held onto his face, keeping him upright,

"Party Poison! Hey! Look at me! Keep your eyes open! Hey!"

His fever was spiking again. She could feel it through his bandana, still tied around her palm.

He weakly grabbed her hand, covering his mouth with his other as the hacking continued.

It ended in a wet gag and he quickly pulled it away from his mouth, keeping it in a fist,

"I'm fine..."

She bit her lip as he wiped the blood leaking from his nose with the back of his hand. His breathing was ragged, akin to a sharp wheeze. Sighing, she wiped his mouth with the bandana and he paused, looking to her sheepishly. She offered him a sympathetic smile,

"Missed a spot."

He snorted at that, his lip twitching into a half grin,

"Thanks..."

They gazed silently at each other for a moment, Party Poison finally breaking eye contact as he turned and weakly crawled to the passenger's seat,

"How far are we from the crater?"

Clara bowed her head, a tear escaping her as she squeezed her eyes shut. Quickly wiping them, she scooted closer to the front, listening in on their conversation.

Cola snorted, glancing over at him in disbelief,

"You can't be fucking serious."

"Sure I am," Poison grunted as he climbed into the seat and leaned back against the head rest, rolling his head to look over at him,

"I ain't dead yet, _son_. Let's do this...!"

"Yeah, only because of _Clara_ ," he snapped, slamming on the break,

"If it hadn't been for her, you would have died back there!"

Poison glanced back at her, to which she quickly lowered her gaze.

With a snort, Cherri Cola shook his head, slapping the wheel in rage,  
"Not that it matters much in the long run, I mean you're gonna die anyway, right!?"

The red head inhaled deeply and let out a groan,

"Cola-"

"No, Poison," the ash-haired man shouted, tears in his eyes,

" _Radio Rash_!? You've got Radio Rash and you didn't even bother to fucking tell me!?"

"Well, it's a damn shame you were too busy _poppin' pills and sunbathing,_ " the fiery-haired man snipped,

"Or maybe I fuckin' would have!"

They both silenced.

Cola squeezed his eyes shut, exhaling slowly,

"Do the guys know?"

"Yeah."

"And Girl?"

Party Poison froze, shaking his head as he coughed shortly,

"No. And it's gonna _stay_ that way."

"So," Cola snorted, a sorrowful tone in his voice as he looked over at his ailing friend,

"She's just gonna get up one day, wanting to go for a joyride and what? Find you dead? No explanation? No reason? Just dust?"

"No," he cleared his throat, pulling at the scarf around his neck,

"I-uh...it won't be like that."

"Then, _how_?"

Party Poison turned, staring up at him blankly.

Cola straightened at this, his eyes wide,

"You're gonna run off...?"

Clara looked at him in surprise as he nodded, her heart dropping sadly.

"I don't believe you," he smirked, shaking his head in disapproval,

"You are fucking _incredible_ -"

"Well, what do you want me do, Cola," Poison snapped, his hazel eyes become glassy,

"Let her wake up to my _maggot-ridden_ corpse!? I could never do that to her!"

"Well, then, after you leave," Cola shouted back, glaring at Poison through his tears,

"Then, what? She's gonna come lookin' for you-"

"I taped," he cleared his throat, wiping his nose as it began to bleed again,

"A bunch of messages. Gave 'em to D. Told him to call her periodically and play one for her. She won't ever have to know."

"That's-"

"Not fair," Clara cut Cherri Cola short, her eyes beginning to tear up as she grew angry,

"That's not fair, you can't do that to her!"

"I can," he choked, clearing his throat again as a hard lump began to develop,

"And I _am_ , girly. It's better off this way..."

He turned back to the window, wiping his eyes as he coughed,

"Now, can we get going, _please_. I'm done talking about this."

Sighing deeply, Cherri Cola started the car again, and began down the road.

Clara leaned closer to Party Poison, her voice a soft whisper,

"You can't just disappear from her life, it's not right-!"

"I said, 'I'm done. Talking.'"

He sighed as he turned to the rolled down window, feeling the cold, night air blast against his hot skin.

Biting her lip, she nodded shortly and pulled away from him, sitting back against the side,

"Fine. Be a coward. Break her heart. Whatever you want...that's _your_ problem."

They arrived at the crater a few minutes later, Clara sighing deeply as she grabbed the remaining rifle and climbed out. Grabbing the bazooka, Cola nodded to the two of them,

"Ready or not..."

Poison grunted as he climbed out of the passenger's side, slamming the door weakly behind him.

Spotting Clara, he called after her, leaning against the van for support,

"Hey. Wait a sec."

She turned as he hobbled toward her, his movements twitchy and awkward.

"Listen," he began, clearing his throat softly,

"I know...you think I'm a piece of shit, right now, believe me...I've been feeling that way about myself for ages-"

Clara shook her head at that,

"I never said-"

"You didn't have to," he laughed, scratching at his neck,

"Your eyes did all the talking for you."

She didn't smile.

Clearing his throat, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out, looking her square in the eye,

"Listen, before this all goes down...there's something I want you to do for me."

She straightened, eying the object in his hand suspiciously.


	8. Chapter 8

**To The End**

Hearing the sounds of clacking footsteps behind him, he grinned, his voice dry and dripping with sarcasm,

"Well…if it isn’t _John Constantine_ himself…”

Spinning around, he gave the trio a mad grin,

"How’s the cancer treating you? I mean....that is what it is, right? Basically?”

Party Poison raised an eyebrow at this, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek,

"Doc…?"

Clara straightened as she laid eyes on the apparatus strapped to his face and swallowed hard,

"Oh no…"

"A condemned man that keeps trucking forward in hopes that he’ll find salvation, but let’s face it, _Party Poison_ _,_ " he began to pace the room,

"Life isn’t a comic book. I mean, you can make as many deals with the devil as you want but in the end,” he made a scratching motion at his neck,

“He’ll get his due. He always does. There is no ret-con in this for you, I’m afraid. You are a dead. Man. Walking.”

"You're not, Doc," the fiery-haired man breathed, his lungs wheezing as he inhaled sharply,

"Who are you?"

"Ah," the lanky-man smiled,

"Not as dumb as you look...! In fact...I'd even go as far to say that you're a bit _Clever._ "

He began to chuckle at that, Poison turning to Clara in confusion,

"What's going on?"

She bit her lip, opening her mouth to speak as the man interrupted her,

"Oh, she and I go _way_ back..."

The red head whispered to her this time, shaking his head,

" _Clara_?"

"Mr. Clever. That's his name. He's the Cyber Planner."

Mr. Clever grinned as he approached them, Party Poison quickly taking a step forward and raising his gun. To this the man stopped and mockingly waved him down,

"Oi, oi! Easy there, _Bucket List,_ " he pressed his hands to his chest, an astonished look on his face,

"Fancies this face, she does. She'd throw a proper fit if you damaged the goods, wouldn't you, _Bossy_?"

Clara straightened at that, a blush crossing her cheeks as he pressed on,

"She has dreams about this face...not the kind of dreams you'd write home to dear old mumsie about, either-I mean, if she still _had_ one that is."

Poison glanced over at her, swallowing hard as he watched her jaw stiffen with anger. Mr. Clever then frowned, scratching the top of his head in an almost comical fashion,

"Killed by a shoppe mannequin? Gotta be the strangest way of going out _I've_ ever heard, but hey, what the hell? We can't all get our brains turned into _corned beef hash_ , now can we?"

He shot Party Poison a wink.

Cherri Cola tensed, tightening his grip on the bazooka,

"All right, who the fuck is this clown?"

"Ah," Mr. Clever clapped, rubbing his hands together in excitement,

"You...oh, I know you, I do! And survey says," he pulled the Doctor's screwdriver from his pocket and flashed it at him, bringing it up with a grin,

"Agent Cherri Cola!"

He then placed a hand on his hip and glanced back and forth between him and Party Poison,

"Interesting...the DNA match between you two is 50%, are you brothers or something? Half brothers? Cousins? Second cousins, twice removed?"

They glanced at each other in confusion. Shaking his head, Mr. Clever flipped the object in his hand,

"Ah well, doesn't matter. You'll both be dead in a minute, anyway-"

"Let Doc go, now," Party Poison hissed, his gun still trained on him.

"You sure like talking, don't you," Mr. Clever laughed, twirling in place,

"Talking, making threats...flirting with everything on two legs. Makes you feel important, am I right?"

He smiled at the dark scowl on Party Poison's face, folding his arms across his chest,

"It was a perfect choice then, wasn't it? Joining the army? Becoming a sergeant? Good chance to bark orders at people lesser than you-"

"Shut up."

Cherri Cola shook his head, glancing at Poison in concern,

"Poison, what's he talking about?"

"People like," Mr. Clever cleared his throat, a sadistic tone in his voice,

" _Benjamin Spence._ Your brother-in-law. He looked up to you, oh yeah...thought you were the coolest thing since _sliced bread_. Shame you got his head blown off five seconds into battle."

Party Poison swallowed hard at that, his gaze beginning to falter.

"And then there's _Beverly_ -"

A hot pink laser whizzed passed Mr. Clever's face, then, leaving a slight discolouration in its wake.

Clara straightened, shaking her head as she stepped toward Party Poison,

"Don't listen to him. He's just trying to get under your skin..."

"Doesn't take much, either," the lanky man laughed, picking at his finger nails,

"Let's see...ah yes, pretty little Beverly. She liked to play the field as much as _you_ did. Right under her fiancé's nose, too. Bit of a whore, that one-"

Another shot whizzed passed his face, burning a small portion of his hair. He smirked. The look of rage on Party Poison's face was priceless. Mr. Clever smirked,

"But then you found each other, and it was simply meant to _be_. Right out of a fairy tale, you two were. Would've been happily ever after, too, if she hadn't tossed you in the nut house..."

Clara glanced over at Poison silently, her eyes wide. Noting this, Mr. Clever giggled,

"Oh, he didn't tell you about that? How his own wife branded him a nutter and locked him away? A little zap fixed all that, though, yeah? She didn't like that version of you, though, _oh no_. The boring old square... Mike Milligram. Steady pay, 9-5, drove a little too slow, and couldn't get it up long enough to satisfy her every _little_ craving...all because you thought you were being chased by a statue."

To this, Clara frowned, her gaze dropping to the floor as the image of a man with dark hair and a white robe came to her mind. He sat on the floor, his back turned from her.

_'"Beware the statues."'_

She shook her head of the the image, turning back as Mr. Clever continued,

"So, when you came home that day, hard on for _Private Ryan_ restored, she must have been so ecstatic! Well, until you tricked the Doctor into coming back and ruining her happiness."

The fiery-haired man coughed, feeling his head growing light,

"I-I didn't-"

"Oh, but you did, _Party Poison_ , you did!"

Mr. Clever strolled up beside him, placing an arm around his shoulders like an old friend,

"You knew the Doctor would never come back for you unless he thought he already had, so you took your granddad's journal," he turned to Clara and Cola, a wide grin on his face,

"And this is the best bit, _really._ You took that journal, and you had her write a letter...a _fake_ letter...to you! 'Oh it's been a week since you disappeared! You, the Doctor and his magic box'! Oh, it was brilliant!"

He laughed softly and gave him a pat him on the chest,

"Again, I'd say you were clever, but _I'm_ in the room."

Pulling away then, he strutted forward, hands clasped behind his back,

"And all the years she spent alone? Ostracised by society, abandoned by family and friends. Single mother with a low income job, and a psycho husband who ran off in a ' _flying, blue box_ '. Not a lot of great prospects, I'm afraid."

Party Poison found himself growing hot. Pressing a hand to his head, he took a deep breath and exhaled. The air was getting stagnant. It was hard for him to breathe.

Noting this, Mr. Clever pressed further, a sadistic grin on his lips,

"Think about it. All those aching moments, wishing she were in your arms again...and where were you? Joyriding in the desert with _three men_ and a _little lady_."

Clara stepped closer to him, seeing him grow pale and gently placed a hand on his shoulder,

"Party Poison..."

She straightened, noting the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Waiting and waiting...and withering away. All those birthdays and Christmases having to explain to little Petey why Daddy wasn't _there_. All of the excuses she made for you, how exhausting! And how do you think she felt, ey? When she finally realised you were **never coming home**?"  
Poison remained silent at that, glaring at him in rage.

Mr. Clever grinned at this, clapping his hands in time with his words,

"EVERY. BODY. PAY. ATTENTION. TO ME!"

Strutting right up to to him, Mr. Clever leaned down and glared Poison in the eyes, wild smirk on his snake-like lips,

"Well, _Party Poison_ , since you think you know everything, answer me this. I've just sent a slew of cybermites into Batt City to convert the populace. They'll break through the Zones and march on to whatever is left of your precious United States, converting and upgrading as they go, leaving nothing behind. How do you, just one man, and a _dying_ one I might add...plan to stop me, ey?"

Poison glowered at him through dark, hazel eyes, his fists clenched at his sides. He glanced over at Clara briefly, to which Mr. Clever snapped and grabbed him by the face,

"No, don't look at her, look at me, you dolt!"

The red head winced as he felt Mr. Clever's fingers dig into his cheeks.

"You can't shoot me. You'd kill the Doctor if you did. And that body is _betraying_ you. You're half dead where you stand, there's no where to run. Fight or flight...but you can't escape when your own body is the prison, so tell me," he leaned in closer, inches away from Poison's face.

Poison snarled, but remained silent.

"What's the matter?" Mr. Clever snickered, his hot breath tickling Poison's skin as he hissed,

"Cat got your tongue? And here I thought you had _all_ the answers..."

A smile flicked across the red head's face and he snickered, nodding to himself as he bit his lip,

"You know, you're right...it's fight or flight..."

Looking Mr. Clever straight in the eyes, he sighed,

"Sorry about this."

Grabbing him by the shoulders, Party Poison kicked up, slamming his foot between Mr. Clever's legs.

Clara and Cola gasped at this, the woman hiding her eyes as Poison then reared back and slammed the butt of his gun into the man's jaw.

Mr. Clever staggered backward, working to regain his balance as Party Poison now paced around him,

"Guess you didn't get the memo, _son_. If I'm going down...then sugar, I'm going down _swingin_ '..."

~ø~

Madam Director straightened as she heard the sound of footsteps behind her, turning with a smile to find Korse standing in her doorway,

"Ah, there you are. Anything to report on the satellite?"

He grinned, a sinister light to his face as he held out a hand,

"Oh...yes, Madam Director."

A tiny, metallic creature leapt from his palm and landed on her shoe, quickly crawling up her legs. She frowned curiously as it crawled up to her face, her eyes wide as it quickly attached itself to her. It began to spark shortly there after and she fell lifelessly to the floor. Stepping over her, he walked toward the monitor; hands behind his back,

"There were some... _interesting_ findings."

"Really?"

He spun, his eyes wide as she rose from the floor, perfectly fine, and folded her arms across her chest,

"Tell me more."

~ø~

With another punch, Mr. Clever staggered to the wall, a cackle escaping him as he wiped his lips of blood, some of the orange-y substance dripping on his shirt,

"Oh, ho... _Walking Dead_ packs quite a punch, ey?"

Tugging at his sleeves, Party Poison smirked, his breath laboured and ragged,

"I work out..."

He began hacking, then, and smacking a fist to his chest, he spat a glob of blood to the sight.

Mr. Clever grinned, pushing away from the wall and toward the red head,

"Liar, liar...pants on fire-!"

Grabbing the collar of Poison's jacket, he smashed his forehead to his face, knocking him to the ground.

Clara straightened at this, and started toward them, her eyes wide,

"Party Poison!"

"No-," he gagged as Mr. Clever bent down and grabbed him by the throat; waving her back,

"Remember what I told you-!"

She stopped then and nodded, biting her lip as she motioned to Cherri Cola,

"C'mon. With me! You're good at computers, yeah?"

"A _little_."

They jogged over to the control panel, and she nodded, turning to him with a sigh,

"Then, help me turn this thing off."

Mr. Clever smiled as he tightened his grip on Party Poison's throat, chuckling softly,

"You really think...that's gonna work? Distracting me so your little friends can get to the console?"

Poison's eyes widened as Clara let out a scream. Struggling to turn his head, he could see she was now being detained by Kobra Kid. Cherri Cola grunted as Jet Star dragged him away from the console, turning to Mr. Clever with a curse,

"What the hell did you do to them, you fucking prick!?"

"You forgot about that little problem, didn't you," Mr. Clever laughed, squeezing tighter,

"They've been converted, _Party Poison_. There's no getting them back now, their dust-"

"You're wrong-," the red head choked, glaring him straight in the eyes,

"We destroy the console...and everyone goes back to normal-"

"And who told you that? Your dear old _Doctor_ ," he snorted, shaking his head as he watched the younger man's eyes begin to wander,

"Well, rule number one, sweet cheeks...the Doctor _lies_."

~ø~

Girl frowned as she toddled back out to the console room, eyes to the ceiling. She frowned as she ran up to it, trying to peek over the edge. She was far too short. With a pout, she backed up, balling her hands into fists as she bit her lip,

"Excuse me? Hello?"

She heard a strange sort of whirring and frowned, inhaling deeply,

"Could you take me to where Party Poison is?"

"I can take you anywhere you like..."

She spun around at the sound of a female voice. Standing by the doors was a woman, her heavily teased, blonde hair falling just past her shoulders. She smiled as she strolled forward, and knelt down in front of her with a smile,

"All you have to do is make a wish."

"A wish," Girl scowled, shaking her head,

"That's stupid."

"No, it's not," the woman leaned back, an look of offence written on her face as she placed her hands on her lap,

"Just close your eyes. Well, go on! Do it!"

Rolling her eyes, Girl did as the woman said. The woman stood, and paced around her, putting her hands on the child's shoulders as she knelt back down,

"Now, make a wish..."

Her eyes began to glow a brilliant gold...

~ø~

Yanking Party Poison up from the floor, Mr. Clever smirked, his eyes wide and crazed,

"There's no one to save you, now, _Party Poison,_ no Plan B. Face it...you should have let the cybermites convert you when you had the chance! You might've lived a little longer, anyway..."

He reached up and pressed his hand to Poison's face,

"Well, then, no point in dragging this out. It's been fun _, really_ , it has. Oh, and give my regards to Beverly."

A wave of electricity shot through the Doctor's hand and Poison let out a pained cry, feeling his brain begin to burn. Clara gasped at this, doing her best to break free of Kobra Kid's grasp,

"No! Party Poison!"

A sudden cracking boom sounded within the room and she gasped, her eyes wide as the TARDIS crashed through the walls of the console room. It smashed right into the control panel, causing it to spark and shut down.

Kobra Kid's grip on her loosened and she spun to look at him, eyes wide as he shook his head,

"What-?"

"Dude, where are we," Jet Star groaned, stepping back as he eyed the man he was detaining,

" _Cherri Cola_?"

Kobra Kid straightened at the sound of another yell, eyes widening as he looked up,

" _Poison_!?"

Clara spun back to see that Party Poison, still being electrocuted by Mr. Clever, was beginning to lose consciousness. Quickly, she started forward, pulling something from her pocket.

_'"Here..."'_

-ø-

_She frowned as he set a small glove down in her palm and shook her head; frowning curiously,_

_"The hand pulser? You had it this whole time and you didn't-"_

_"Yeah, yeah, I forgot, okay? Kinda starts happening when your brain's slowly turning into Power Pup."_

_With a cough, he took a deep breath and cleared his throat,_

_"I want you to take it. I'll distract Korse while you and Cola turn off the console. Once it's shut down, get Doc and you get the hell out. Think you can do that?"_

_She could see the pain in his movements._

_"Distract him? Distract him, how?"_

_Poison smirked, shrugging slightly as he waved his gun in the air,_

_"Or with my fists, if I gotta."_

_"But," she began, swallowing hard as she looked into his eyes,_

_"You're not strong enough...! Party Poison, he'll kill you-!"_

_"I hate to break it to you, babe, but if he doesn't," Poison began, his trailing off as he began to cough. Wiping his lip with a shaky hand, he offered her a smile,_

_"Look. The important thing here is that we save Doc and everybody else out here in the Zones that the fucking Borg have turned-"_

_"Cybermen," she corrected._

_Rolling his eyes, he laughed and shook his head,_

_"Whatever!"_

_She offered him a sorrowful smile. She could see the tears gathering in his eyes as the first light of dawn peeked over the horizon and he snorted, still smiling,_

_"Just do it. Save Doc. No matter what it takes."_

_Tucking some hair behind her ear, she nodded shortly,_

_"Yeah, of course."_

-ø-

Pulling the glove on her hand, she raced up behind Mr. Clever and slammed it to the side of his face. The lanky man let out a scream and pulled back, dropping Party Poison instantly. After a second, the apparatus sparked and popped off into her hand. She tossed it to the floor, catching him in her arms,

"Doctor!"

With a groan, the man shook his head and squinted, looking her in the eyes,

" _Clara_?"

His eyes wandered to the floor as she quickly broke away from him, hearts dropping as she knelt down next to a lifeless Party Poison. Cradling his head in her hands, Clara sniffled, doing her best to hold back her tears,

"Party Poison? Party Poison, wake up!"

He did not move. He did not even stir.

Biting her lip, she bowed her head and began to sob,

"Come back...please, come back!"

The Doctor stepped closer, looking on sadly at the scene,

"No..."

She continued to sob. He glanced around at the others, eyes wide in shock and terror,

"No, this...this isn't how it goes."

The TARDIS door creaked then and he spun, spotting Girl in the doorway. Her eyes fell on Party Poison's lifeless form and she shook her head, breaking into a run,

"No! No, no, no!"

Reaching him, she knelt down and pressed a hand to his cheek.

He was cold. Letting out a harsh cry, she laid her head on his chest sobbed,

"No! Party Poison, no!"

Kobra Kid shook his head, his eyes dark and full of rage,

"What did you do to him?"

Taking a step back, he shook his head, glancing down at Clara,

"This isn't how it happens...I swear. I saw it...!"

"You saw what," she sniffled, tears streaming down her cheeks,

"Doctor?"

He closed his eyes, replaying the security footage of that horrible, future day in his head.

Opening his eyes, he straightened his bow tie and took a deep breath, turning to the TARDIS,

"This is not how it ends. I will not let this be how it ends!"

Clara stood, her eyes wide as the doors slammed shut, the TARDIS dissipating moments later,

"Doctor!"

~ø~

Dashing to the console, he set the coordinates and put her on full power.

Then quickly, he took an aged envelope from his pocket and opened it up. Unfolding the letter, he cursed. The writing was beginning to fade; disappearing completely from the page. Stuffing it back in his coat, he put his hands on the controls,

"Hold on, Michael. Hold on...!"

~ø~

- _ **London - 1892 - December**_ _ **-**_

_CRASH._

A young woman with dark, brown hair frowned as she heard the sound of a window shattering in one of the upstairs rooms. She hurried up the steps to the second floor. The sound had come from the room at the end of the hall. With a frown, she knocked on the door and raised an eyebrow,

"Strax? What's it doin' in there?"

Pushing open the door, she gasped. The room had been totally destroyed. Stepping in, she spotted what looked to be a note sitting on the bedside table. Opening it up, she gasped, her eyes wide as she hurried back downstairs.

~ø~

"Ma'am! Ma'am!"

The veiled woman turned sharply at the sound of her wife's voice, frowning in concern as the younger woman came running to her; out of breath,

"Jenny? What is it, what's wrong?"

"It's him, Ma'am," Jenny panted, handing her the note,

"He's back."

Lifting her veil, Madame Vastra read over the paper; a confused look on her face,

"That can't be right..."

"But it's his writing," Jenny pressed, placing her hand gently on her wife's arm,

"Isn't it, Ma'am?"

~ø~

Somewhere, high in the sky, a telephone let out it's shrill ring. It's owner grumbled as he picked up the receiver, his voice heavy and sad,

"What is it?"

~ø~

"Doctor," the lizard woman began, reading over the paper again with a smile,

"Madame Vastra. I've called to ask about your note."

_**"My what?"** _

"Your note," she cleared her throat,

"The one you left in Strax's room."

~ø~

"What are you talking about," he snapped, an irritated scowl on his face,

"I didn't leave you any note."

Donning a pair of round spectacles, he went back to his book, _Melody Malone_ , reading the afterword for what felt like the thousandth time. In fact, he mused, it probably was.

_"Well, it's your hand writing."_

"Well, then, it's probably a future me or something," he growled, shaking his head,

"Look, I haven't got time for your nonsense, I'm _busy_."

_"Busy doing what? I thought you were retired."_

~ø~

She pulled back from the phone as the dial tone sounded, and hung up the receiver,

"Well, my dear...it appears he won't be coming off his cloud anytime soon."

Jenny scowled, shaking her head in confusion as she looked back down at the paper in her love's hand,

"But that's the Doctor's handwriting. If it wasn't him who left that note for us, then who was it? And what's he talking about? Borrowed what?"

"I don't know," she sighed, placing her hand lovingly on the woman's cheek,

"But I'm sure he'll bring it back shortly, whatever it was."

~ø~

- _ **California - 2019- September**_ _ **-**_

Clara straightened as the TARDIS reappeared seconds later, her eyes wide as the Doctor rushed out of it. She rose to her feet, heart racing,  
"Doctor-!"

Quickly, he waved her aside, skidding to a stop as he reached Party Poison,

"Move, move, move!"

Stepping back, she watched in confusion as the Doctor waved a strange device over Poison's body, her voice catching in her throat,

"Doctor, what is that...?"

It chirped and whirred as he scanned him, over and over, the Doctor swallowing hard,

"Come on, Michael, come on. Come back...come back!"

He still did not stir.

Girl whimpered at this, hot tears streaming down her cheeks as she took hold of his cooling hand,

"No..."

After a few more moments, the Doctor let out an aggravated growl and threw the contraption across the room, pulling at his hair.

Biting her lip, Clara set a hand over her mouth and turned away. She squeezed her eyes shut.

How could this be real? How?

Swallowing hard, the Doctor set back on his feet, glancing to the others as he shook his head,

"I tried. I'm sorry...I'm so, so _sorry_..."

Shaking his head, Kobra Kid bit his lip and grabbed the Doctor by the collar of his jacket, pulling him to his feet,

"You fucking bastard!"

Slamming his fist into the Doctor's face, he shoved him back to the ground and spat at him, fists clenched in rage,

"I wish you'd never come here! I wish we'd never fucking met you!"

Jet Star stepped forward, grabbing Kid by the shoulders and pulling him to the side,

"Kid, stop...that won't help anything."

"But it's true," he spat, glaring over his shoulder at the downed man,

"Poison's _dead_ 'cause of you. And don't you dare think I'll ever forgive you for that!"

Clara hurried over to him, kneeling down as he pushed himself up,

"Hey...you tried, all right? You tried..."

He nodded to himself, wiping his mouth with a shaking hand.

The room went silent.

"You motherfuckers..."

They all turned at the sound of harsh coughing, Girl's eyes lighting up as she felt a squeeze on her hand,

"Party Poison!"

The Doctor straightened, quickly crawling over to him as he sputtered and hacked. Pulling out his sonic screwdriver, he laughed, cracking a wide smile,

"You-You're all right!"

"I've been _better_ ," Poison hacked, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

The Doctor continued to smile, his eyes sparkling with tears as he grabbed hold of the red head's face,

"You lucky bastard...!"

Suddenly pulling him close, he smashed his lips against Poison's and a hot blush on began to grow Clara's cheeks. After a moment, he tried to pull away, concern flashing across his face upon finding he couldn't. This was mostly because Party Poison's hand had entwined itself in his hair. Alarmed, the Doctor quickly grabbed the man's shoulders and pried himself away, completely breathless,

"Oi! You're like a little suction cup!"

"I know," the fiery-haired man grinned, eying him over with a lick of his lips,

"You like that?"

The Doctor swallowed hard as he brushed his jacket off, a dumb smirk crossing his lips. He giggled to himself for a bit, then quickly snapped out of it, shaking his head,

"No."

Poison leaned back with a grin and shot him a wink,

"You'll come around."

The Doctor turned away at that, blushing slightly as he touched a finger to his lips.

With a giggle, Girl quickly jumped at him, putting her arms around his next,

"Poison!"

He grunted softly as she accidentally kicked him in the gut, putting an arm around her tightly,

"Oof! Hey, pipsqueak...!"

"Doctor?"

Clara stepped toward him, shaking her head in confusion,

"What was that thing? What did you do?"

Nodding shortly, the Doctor glanced down at their endearing reunion and smiled,

"A piece of alien technology. Borrowed it from a friend. Last time we tried to use it, it didn't have enough juice, so I went back..."

He trailed off, his eyes growing wide. He could see her now, lying there on that table in the study.

It was Christmas.

_'"Run you clever boy...and remember."'_

"Doctor," Clara frowned, placing a hand on his arm,

"What's wrong?"

"It didn't work because," the Doctor frowned,

"Because I used it on..."

He turned to look at Party Poison, his face draining of colour. She frowned at this.

Something in his eyes looked sad.

With a short cough, he cleared his throat and shook his head,

"Nothing! It's nothing, never mind."

Turning to the rest of the group, he smiled and clapped his hands,

"All right! Now, that all that's behind us! Who wants some grub!?"

They all frowned at him. Party Poison smiled,

"Can we get IHOP this time?"

~ø~

"Y'know, Doc," the fiery-haired man scratched his head as they arrived back at the Diner,

"I don't think IHOP was such a good idea, after all."

They both jumped as they heard the sound of heaving from behind them and Kobra Kid staggered out sheepishly, the front of his shirt now caked in a chunky mess,

"Sorry..."

Jet Star trudged out after him, helping a now conscious, but equally-as-ill Fun Ghoul, out of the TARDIS,

"Yeah, sorry..."

Ghoul was grinning ear to ear, despite being covered in vomit,

"Totally worth it, dude."

Girl hopped out after them, bouncing over to Poison with a giggle,

"Poison! Poison, that was awesome! What was that stuff!?"

With a smile, he tousled her hair and shot her a wink,

"That was a pancake."

"A pancake," she grinned up at him, hugging his legs tightly,

"I like pancakes."

"Me, too."

"I'm gonna be sick," she laughed.

Eyes wide, he quickly pried her away from his legs,

"Please not on me."

Cackling loudly, she bounded away from them, only to be sick on the front walk.

Cherri Cola groaned as he trudged passed them,

"I'll see about her."

"Thaaaanks, _angel_ ," Poison grinned, patting him on the shoulder as he went by.

Clara was the last to emerge from the TARDIS, her eyes wide as she avoided the splattered barf that littered the walk way,

"Somebody get a bad meal?"

Party Poison grinned, snorting shortly in reply,

"I don't know what you're talkin' about."

The heaving sounded again and they all cringed. Clara swallowed hard,

"Ooh, that doesn't sound friendly."

The Doctor coughed as they heard it again, quickly changing the subject as he began to feel queasy,

"So, then, _Party Poison_ , what now? The Cybermen are done, thanks to Girl, coming in on the TARDIS like a _wrecking ball_ ," he laughed to himself, coughing shortly when neither of them laughed,

"Kobra Kid and Jet Star are back to normal and Fun Ghoul is on his way to a speedy recovery. Looks like everything's under control."

Poison nodded as he scratched his head,

"Yeah, looks like it."

The Doctor stared at him a moment, a smug grin on his face,

"So, how 'bout it? You wanna come along? Clara and I were just about to head out to Space Vegas-"

"Space Vegas," Clara frowned, shaking her head as she turned to him in confusion,

"I thought we were going to _actual_ Vegas."

"Oi, this is _actual_ Vegas," he shot back, seeming offended,

"But the best part is, it's in _space_!"

Poison smiled as he watched them banter back and forth for a minute, folding his arms across his chest

"Nah, I uh...I actually gotta run, myself."

They both turned to him, the Doctor straightening in surprise,  
"Run? Run where?"

Clara bit her lip as she gazed up at the fiery-haired man, her heart beginning to sink.

His gaze faltered and he shrugged, smacking his lips together with a sigh,

"Oh, you know... _errands_."

"You're gonna go on... _errands_ ," the Doctor reiterated, narrowing his eyes.

Exchanging sad glances with Clara, Party Poison nodded solemnly.

He then leaned in close, trying his best to whisper,

"Is that code...?"

"C-code," Party Poison shook his head,

"For what?"

The Doctor swallowed hard, and loosened his collar a bit,

"Like, y'know...! _Texting_? And _scones_? I mean..I've seen the way you are with Ghoul. And I," he slapped his hands to his chest and shook his head,

"Am not judging you."

He then put his arm around the confused red head's shoulders,

"He's a bit greasy looking, though, don't you think?"

"Greasy looking-?"

"And stringy. Kinda stringy. Personally, I think you could do _much_ better. In fact, I know a guy, _perfect_ for you. His name's Jack, you might have met him actually, back in the war-"

"What, _no_ ," Poison shrieked, his face turning bright red,

"Ghoul and I are _not_ together! I mean...I'm not gonna lie, he's got a pretty nice ass, but he's like my little brother! That's _weird_ -"

" _That's_ weird," the Doctor scoffed, pulling back from with a blank look on his face,

"Says the man who _married_ his _great grandmother_ -"

" _What_ ," Clara straightened, her eyes doubling to the size of saucers,

"You married your _gran_? Beverly, that's her?"

Party Poison opened his mouth to speak, but not but a squeak escaped him.

Clara made a face then, and folded her arms across her chest,

"So, when you said I reminded you of her, did you mean I reminded you of your wife or your grandmother?"

He swallowed hard. She narrowed her eyes at him,

"Do I look like an old woman to you?"

Coughing sharply, he turned and headed toward the Diner,

"So, those errands, huh!? They are not gonna do themselves. Later!"

The Doctor chuckled as Clara gaped after him, her mouth hung open in shock.

Putting an arm around her, he lead her back to the TARDIS, grinning from ear to ear,

"You're gonna love Space Vegas, Clara. More slot machines than you can bat an eye at. And roller coasters. Twin, dueling roller coasters that take you right through an asteroid belt..."

"An asteroid belt? How would I breathe?"

"Well, they give you a _helmet_..."

The two stopped as they reached the doors, hearing a loud grunt in the opposite direction.

Turning back, they spotted Party Poison; doubled over in the dirt. He groaned again and Clara straightened, seeing that he was shaking rather violently.

"Doc...?"

His voice sounded terrified.

The Doctor frowned and started back toward him, eyebrow raised curiously.

The red head slowly turned around, his face white as a sheet,

"I think we got a problem..."

The Doctor's eyes widened as he noted how Party Poison was holding his arm.

_Or rather...a lack there of._


	9. Chapter 9

**How I Disappear**

"Doc...?"

He fell to his knees, collapsing to the dirt moments later. Clara and the Doctor quickly ran to him, the Doctor pulling out his sonic as Clara knelt down,

"Party Poison!"

She put a hand to his cheek, her eyes widening. She couldn't feel anything.

It was as though his skin weren't there, as though _he_ weren't there.

The Doctor frowned as he scanned him over, his hearts racing. Pulling the screwdriver back, he flicked it open and read the findings. He frowned, shaking his head,

"That's not possible..."

"What is it," Clara gasped, looking up at him in concern,

"What's wrong with him?"

The Doctor smacked the screwdriver a few times and scanned him again. The reading was the same. He glanced down at the fiery-haired man. He looked to be in extreme pain as he flickered out of view momentarily, but soon came back. Clara, having seen this flickering as well, turned to him, swallowing hard,

"Doctor...?"

"Party Poison," he began, his voice soft and whispered,

"I'm sorry..."

Poison frowned up at him, confused as the Doctor continued,

"But you don't exist anymore."

_"Poison!?"_

The red head glanced over to see Jet Star rushing out of the Diner toward them,

"Are you okay!?"

Girl straightened at this, and poked her head around Cherri Cola's legs to see what was going on.

She let out a gasp, then, as she spotted a Draculoid step out from the Diner behind him,

"Look out!"

Spinning around, Jet Star's eyes widened as the Drac raised his gun and fired. The shot hit him square in the chest and he fell to the dirt, lifeless. At this, Party Poison let out a cry and tried desperately to sit up,

" _JET_!"

Cherri Cola immediately drew his gun and fired on the Draculoid. It dropped to the ground, dusted.

Letting out a sob, Girl covered her mouth as Cherri Cola ran to Jet Star and checked him. He shook his head solemnly and stood back up,

"H-He's dead."

The red head felt his heart sink. Clara shook her head, holding onto his fleeting form as tightly as she could,

"But I don't understand, where did he come from?"

Scowling, Cola immediately marched over to the downed Draculoid and grabbed it's mask. Yanking it off, he gasped; his heart stopping,

"No way..."

Pulling himself up onto his elbow, Party Poison clenched his fists tightly and sorrowfully choked,

" _Ghoul_!?"

Cola turned the Doctor in disbelief, his cerulean eyes wide in shock,

"Wh-What's happening? How can he be a Drac, he was just here with us...!?"

Party Poison and the Doctor exchanged nervous glances. Nodding shortly, the Doctor bent down and helped Clara pull the man to his feet,

"Get him inside quickly."

The woman frowned, her face contorted in worry as Party Poison let out another cry of pain and doubled over,

"Doctor? Doctor, what's happening to him?"

Helping the man inside, they laid him down on the floor. Girl quickly ran to him, tears in her eyes as she reached for his hand,

"Poison!"

He flickered again and she gasped, pulling back. Clara turned to the Doctor, her brown eyes beginning to glisten,

"Doctor...?"

"Something's happened," the Doctor swallowed hard, watching fearfully as Poison continued to flicker in and out,

"Something's gone wrong with his timeline."

Cherri Cola ran a hand through his hair nervously as he glanced around,

"Where's Kobra Kid?"

Girl glanced around. He was right, Kobra Kid was the first one to head inside, he should have been in the Diner. Party Poison bit his lip and closed his eyes. The image of that fiery billboard in LA came screaming back to him; how he'd pulled that boy standing beneath it to safety before it had crushed him. How now, according to the Doctor, he hadn't been there to do just that. That boy was likely dead, now...and would have been for several years.

"How," Clara pressed, shaking her head as she glanced back down at Poison,

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know," he stated firmly.

" _Doctor_ -"

"I really don't!"

She looked deep into his eyes. He was as lost as she was.

"Tell me you can fix this," she gasped, keeping her eyes on his,

"Tell me you can save him."

The Doctor looked to her silently. Hesitantly, he glanced back down at the red head and swallowed hard.

Party Poison looked to him, eyes filled with terror.

Nodding shortly, the Doctor spun and left the Diner, Clara quickly tearing out after him,

"Doctor!?"

She followed him back to the TARDIS, her heart racing,

"Doctor, where are you going? You can't just leave him-!"

"I know, I'm not."

"Then, where are you going?"

He spun to face her as he reached the doors, his eyes filled with uncertainty,

"I told you. Something's gone wrong in his timeline...something that's causing him to be wiped from existence, and I need to find out what it is."

"Okay," she nodded, pushing forward,

"Then let's go, let's do it-"

"Not _us_ , Clara..."

Her face fell at that and she shook her head, eyes wide,

"What? Why!?"

"Because," he leaned down close to her face, a sad look in his eye,

"He's going to need someone in his corner. Someone strong and brave and unmoving. They are going to forget him, Clara. Slowly but surely, until there's nothing left. And he's going to need someone who remembers..."

She drew a shaking breath and nodded. With a smile, the Doctor gently grabbed her face and placed a soft kiss on her head. Pulling back, he smiled,

"I'll do everything I can, I promise."

Again, she nodded. Turning away, he started into the TARDIS; hearing her call out to him,

"And you'll come back, yeah? You won't leave me here?"

"Of course," he glanced back, smiling warmly,

"I'd never leave you behind."

"Promise me," she insisted, the wind blowing hair into her face,

"Promise me, right now. That you aren't leavin' for good."

Spinning to face her, he grinned and made a motion across his chest,

"Cross my hearts."

With that, she smiled back and watched him shut the doors; the TARDIS dissipating moments later. She then turned and hurried back into the Diner, kneeling down at Party Poison's side,

"The Doctor's on it. He's gonna fix this, don't you worry."

Poison smiled nervously and bit his lip, shaking his head,

"How do you know he _can_?"

She placed a hand on his head,

"'Cause," offering him a smile, she shrugged,

"He's the Doctor."

~ø~

- _ **California - June - 1945**_ _ **-**_

She sighed as she approached the train station, slowing to a crawl as she reached the front steps. Glancing down at her left hand, she bit her lip and fiddled with the tacky, diamond ring that set on her finger. Closing her eyes, she shook her head. Guess there was no putting it off any further. As she started up the steps, she straightened upon hearing a voice call out to her,

"Beverly!"

Turning sharply, Beverly spotted a strange man running toward her and tensed. His movements were comical, reminiscent of a drunken giraffe. He panted as he came to a stop before her, swallowing hard,

"Beverly! Beverly Milligram! That's you, right?"

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Your name," he continued, shaking his head,

"Is it Beverly Milligram?"

She began to shake her head and he grabbed her shoulder, still panting,

"Oh, right, right! You're not married, yet. Sorry, forgot! Your name would be...would be...?"

He tapped his forehead spastically, his eyes squeezed tightly shut as he tried to think,

"Beverly...Beverly..."

With a snap of his fingers, his eyes shot open and he grinned like a mad man,

"Spence! Beverly _Spence_!"

With a nervous smile, she nodded and gently tried to pull away from him,

"Y-Yes...yes, it is. I'm sorry, who are you?"

"The Doctor," he waved casually, leaning in and kissing the air on either side of her face,

"Nice to meet you."

Noting the ring on her finger, the Doctor smiled and clasped his hands together happily,

"So, you are still set to marry him! Oh, that's great! That's good, what a relief!"

He then frowned and grabbed her hand, inspecting the ring with a close eye,

"But that's a diamond..."

"Most engagement rings are," she stated, raising an eyebrow at him in confusion.

"No, no," he shook his head, closing his eyes as he thought back again,

"Yours _wasn't._ He couldn't afford one. Yours...yours was a _pearl_! Or a _moonstone_...? Or was it an _opal_...?"

He dropped her hand, a confused look on his face,

"Oh, I don't know. I'm not good with rocks. The point is it was _cheap_ ," he continued, waving his hands in the air,

"Said he got it for a few bucks, but it was dainty and pretty, like you. He knew you'd love it, that's why he got it, but your friends thought he was a cheapskate. Couldn't be bothered to shell out the dough for a tacky monstrosity," he motioned to her hand again, "Like _that_."

"A pearl," she shook her head and glanced down at her hand with a thoughtful smile.

"Yeah, a pearl," the man continued, waving his hands charismatically about,

"He knew you liked those, you wore them all the time, so he figured he'd go with it! Family couldn't believe you'd marry him, what with him being so cheap, but you know...that's love."

She shook her head, her confusion turning to intrigue,

"I-I'm sorry, who did you say you were?"

"Who I am isn't really important, right now," he began, leaning in close to her face,

"The important question is 'do you know Michael Milligram'?"

Beverly shook her head, her doe brown eyes glittering strangely,

"No..no, I don't know anyone by that name."

"Oh, c'mon, think about it, Bev," he urged, grabbing her shoulders rather roughly,

"And think hard! You met him at the USO. You had a little _tête-à-tête_ so to speak in the back of a military issue vehicle, probably not the smartest choice considering you'd only just met him, but hey, no one's perfect..."

" _Excuse_ me-!?"

"He was a sergeant in the Big Red One, invaded Normandy. Nearly got himself killed at Falkenau. And the only thing that got him through it, through that nightmare and all the nightmares thereafter...was the thought of coming home to you."

She felt tears hitting her eyes as this strange man continued,

"He talked as though the sun revolved around you. So smart, so brave...Kind and caring and modest, but also fierce and vicious and strong. A force of nature. He loved you more than life itself."

The Doctor swallowed hard, looking deep into her eyes for any sign of recognition,

"Please... _please_ , tell me you remember that."

A few tears glided down her cheeks as she shook her head, forcing a smile,

"I'm sorry, but...I don't. He sounds lovely... _whoever_ he is."

She pulled away from him, then, leaving him in silence.

"You were a teacher!"

She spun as she reached the top of the steps, eyes wide.

"When you were with him," he continued solemnly, "You were a teacher. Are you a teacher, now?"

Beverly shook her head, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear,

"No."

"Will you be?"

"Will I be what?"

"A teacher," the man stepped forward, eyes set on her,

"Will you be a teacher?"

She paused a moment, stifling a sob as she bowed her head,

"No."

"But you went to school for it, you studied," he pressed, clenching his fists at his sides,

"He said it was your _dream_."

Wiping her eyes, Beverly cleared her throat and forced a smile,

"Dreams are for children, Doctor. I'm not a child, anymore."

The Doctor called after her as she slowly turned and trudged inside the train station,

"Bev! _Beverly_!"

He bowed his head as she disappeared inside and cursed softly to himself.  
This was not right. This was just not right.

Turning sharply, he ran back through the crowds as the sound of cheers rang through the air; popping back into the TARDIS.

~ø~

- _ **California - April - 1992**_ _ **-**_

The Doctor entered the nursing home quietly, glancing around with a frown. This was the day, at least it _had_ been. Page 394.

It took him a moment to find the lobby, where he found her sitting patiently in a wheelchair. Strolling over to her, he smiled warmly,

"Hello again...Beverly."

The old woman looked up, her doe brown eyes widening in shock,

"It's you...!"

"Been almost 47 years, hasn't it? My, how time flies...well, it flew for me, anyway. Quite literally in fact..."

"But how?"

"Oh, a magician never reveals his secrets, sorry," he sat down beside her, leaning over with a sigh,

"How's the marriage?"

She rolled her eyes, and shook her head,

"Ended in '62. Divorce. He cheated on me for a younger model."

"Ooh, that's gotta sting."

"It eased up a bit when I totalled his car after finding them in our bed."

The Doctor laughed, patting her hand with a smile,

"Atta girl!"

Beverly shook her head, a tired look in her aging eyes,

"You told me there was a man...a man who thought the world of me? How come I never met _him_? Where did _he_ go?"

"Well," the man began, heaving a deep sigh,

"To tell you the truth, that's why I'm here."

She frowned, becoming distracted as she heard a soft, friendly voice,

"Grandma Bev!"

Looking up, the pair spotted a couple coming toward them, a small bundle in the woman's arms. The Doctor stood, clapping his hands together with a grin,

"Ah, yes! There he is, now! The star of the hour!"

Stepping forward, he leaned in uncomfortable close to the woman, a grin on his lips,

"Hello, Michael-"

He froze at the sight of a pink cap resting on the baby's head. A scowl formed on his face as he pulled back, confused,

"You're not Michael. You're a _girl_! Who are you!?"

He scoffed then, as though the baby had said something he didn't like,

" _Arthur of Camelot_!? _The once and future king_!? Oh, I think not. Nice try, _sweetie_."

He then turned to the couple, an angry look on his face,

"You picked up the wrong baby. No wonder everything's gone wrong!"

"I'm sorry," the woman gaped at him, scared and confused,

"Who are you?"

"John Smith," he began, nodding to the old woman,

"Friend of of Bev's. We go way back. Now, tell me, who the _hell_ is this?"

Her husband stepped up, placing himself between the Doctor and the baby,

"This is our _baby_. Allison."

" _Allison_ ," the Doctor crinkled his nose in disgust,

"You know, I think I like _Arthur_ a bit better, now."

He then turned to the woman, noting the hospital bracelet still on her wrist, and narrowed his eyes in questioning,

"And I thought you couldn't _have_ children..."

Offended, the woman slapped him, and her husband shook his head, marching over to the desk,

"All right, pal, I'm getting security."

Swallowing hard, he quickly spun around, grabbing Beverly's hands and kissing them lightly,

"Bev, I swear. I will fix this for you. I will fix this."

With a gasp, he then spun and hurried for the exit as two, very large, very _scary_ security guards came tearing down the hall after him.

~ø~

Pacing the floor of the TARDIS, the Doctor scowled and bit his lip. On the monitor was a list of all of the hospital records in the Sacremento area from 1992.

"No babies found in diners."

He scrolled to the next list, the list from Los Angeles,

"And none here, either."

He searched through all of California and frowned, cursing softly,

"It's as if you were never even born...but _how_? How is that possible? What would change so drastically that you weren't even born to begin with?"

Pulling out his sonic screwdriver, he scowled a moment and scanned back through the recent readings.

His eyes widened,

"Agent Cherri Cola...50% match?"

The reading quickly vanished and the Doctor straightened.

A light bulb clicked on in his head, then, and he smirked,

"The _time_ energy...you had so much of it because..."

He shook his head, and scowled,

"No, no that's not possible. That couldn't be...but it could...! Oh, but it could...! But why _you_? Why would the angels keep coming after _you_...?"

Biting his thumb, he thought for a moment, then grinned,

"Because you were just a baby. They'd have all the time in the world to reap you again and again and again, not like Rory. Not like the battery farm. They could be sneaky with you...the world wouldn't notice so much if just one person went missing, compared to hundreds. And they'd have your _whole_ life, not just a portion. You were a prime meal ticket! But they didn't count on the apocalypse. They lost track of you. And in that time, that time energy built up and became so potent that they sniffed you right out of that desert. They've been there your whole life...because you're from the future! _Yes_!"

With a clap of his hands, he set the coordinates and bit his lip,

"But how far? How far do I go, Michael, how far!?"

Unbeknownst to him, a woman with scraggly, blonde haired strolled up to the controls and smiled. She set them accordingly. As the TARDIS whirred into motion, the Doctor laughed and patted it's dashboard lovingly,

"Oh, that's it, Sexy! That a girl!"

~ø~

- _ **California - August - 2031**_ _ **-**_

"The ground's not so cold with you two in it."

She sighed deeply as she gazed at the pair of makeshift graves, the tiny cat beside her jumping up onto her shoulder. It let out a cry as a strange whooshing sounded behind them and leapt away from her, bounding to a nearby tree. She spun around, her eyes wide as she found a tall, blue box now standing where there had once been nothing.

Out stepped a lanky man in a purple, tweed coat. Her eyes widened as he strolled toward her, shaking her head,

"You...you came back."

"Yes," he grinned, adjusting his bow tie with a smirk,

"I did. Of course I did. I always come back."

The Doctor then frowned, raising an eyebrow as he pointed at her,

"You don't look like Cherri Cola. Who are you?"  
She snorted in shock at him, shaking her head,

"It's _me_!"

"Who's _'me'_?"

"Girl!"

"Ah, yes, Girl," he did a double take,

" _Girl_!? You're a girl?"

Her jaw set angrily and she marched toward him, fists clenched at her sides,

"I swear to God, I'm gonna fuck you up so bad you'll be knocked into next Tuesday."

"Oi, oi! Easy," he quickly waved her down,

"Easy!"

He yelped as she punched him in the arm, anyway, flinching away from her,

"You're an angry little thing, aren't you?"

"Do you know how long its been!? Do you have any idea!?"

He glanced around at the surroundings, walking passed her toward the graves,

"Twelve years, if I had to wager a guess..."

Girl straightened, shaking her head with a frown,

"Um...yeah, actually."

He eyed the wooden cross to the left, his heart sinking as he spied the word 'COLA' in black, spray paint,

"Well, then...that would do it, now, wouldn't it?"

"Why are you here," Girl spat, folding her arms,

"What do you want?"

"To fix things," the Doctor began, pulling the screwdriver from his pocket,

"Save Party Poison. Why else?"

Girl shook her head,

"What?"

The Doctor turned to her, repeating himself,

"Party Poison. It's why I left, remember? To find a way to-"

She gazed at him blankly.

He marched back up to her, gazing deeply into her eyes,

"Oh, no...no, no, no. Tell me you remember him. Girl, you have to remember him...!"

"I remember a story," she scowled, her eyes growing dark,

"A _bed time_ story. But that's all they were. Soufflé made them up when I was having trouble going to sleep..."

" _Soufflé_ ," the Doctor straightened,

"You mean _Clara_?"

He froze, his hearts stopping as she continued,

"Yeah. She talked about _you_ a lot, too. Said you were coming back for her."

Girl glared daggers at him, tears welling in her eyes as she seethed,

"But you never did."

"Where is she," he straightened, grabbing the teen by the shoulders,

"Where is Clara, now?"

Girl shrugged, her eyes filled with rage and sadness,  
"Dead. Gone. They took her to Batt City _ages_ ago. No one's heard from her since."

Taking a few steps back, the Doctor let out an agonised cry and clamped his hands to his face,

"No! No, no, no! This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"Yeah, well it did," she began, turning away from him and off into the desert,

"And now, if you'll excuse me, I got someplace to be."

The cat bounded after her, hoping up onto her shoulder as she went. He closed his eyes and shook his head, his mind racing,

"Clara...Clara, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Nodding, he took a deep breath,

"I can fix this. I swear, I will fix this! For _everyone_."

He then took off after Girl, calling out to her loudly,

"Girl, wait! Wait!"  
Rolling her eyes, she turned to face him, a disgruntled look on her face,

"What?"

"I can fix this. Let me help you, please."

"Fix what," she shook her head, snarling at him in disgust,

"All the promises you broke? I don't wanna hear it! Do you know how many people died because of you-!?"

"People died-?"

"You were supposed to be here," she screamed, tears in her eyes,

"You were supposed to stop them, but you didn't! You never _did_ -"

"Stop them," the Doctor shook his head, confused,

"Stop who!?"

He straightened as he heard the sound of clanking metal coming from behind her, and glanced up to look. His eyes widened.  
Standing there was a solitary Cyberman. Grabbing her quickly as she spun around, he pulled her behind him and took out his screwdriver.  
The Cyberman paused and scanned him over,

" **You are not a registered citisen of Battery City. Identify yourself.** "

It started closer, it's arm extended,

**"Identify. Identify."**

The Doctor swallowed hard, pushing Girl back further,

"Stay behind me..."

**"Identify,"** it continued, reaching for his face,

**"Identi-"**

The Doctor straightened it stopped suddenly, making rigid, jerking movements as it began to spark. It fell to the ground. Upon glancing back up, he found himself staring into the barrel of a bright yellow gun. His hearts stopped.

Following the gun back to it's owner, he found himself gazing into the eyes of a young man with fiery, red hair. His jaw dropped,

"That's not possible..."


	10. Chapter 10

**Marty McFly**

_**-** _ _**California - September - 2019** _ _**-** _

Clara sighed as she gazed out the window, her arms folded across her chest. There was no sign of the TARDIS, yet. Bowing her head, she walked back over to the makeshift bed she and Cola had constructed and knelt down beside it, offering the fiery-haired man lying there a smile,

"You feeling okay? Any better?"

Party Poison shook his head, gazing blankly at the ceiling,

"Yeah, I'm good," he winced as he flickered again, clenching his fist around the rosary on his wrist.

She quickly reached for the other, doing her best to grab a hold of it. After a moment or two, he came back into focus and laid his head back, out of breath,

"Goddamn...is this what havin' a baby feels like? _Fuck_...!"

She laughed at that, to which he turned to her, a blank look on his face,

"Are you _laughing_ at me?"

She shook her head, trying hard to stifle her giggles as he continued to stare,

"Is this _funny_ to you?"

Biting her lip, she looked to him with tears in her eyes and a stern expression,

"No, I'm sorry. You're right, it's not funny."

They stared at each other for a moment, both soon cracking a smile as they began to laugh. She clamped a hand over her mouth to try and stop herself, soon beginning to cry.

"It's not funny," he shouted, trying hard to stop himself as he cackled along with her.

"I know," she wheezed, leaning down and planting her face on his chest,

"I know it's not funny!"

"Then, why are you laughing!?"

"Same reason you're laughin'!"

"I don't _know_ why I'm laughing!"

"Well, neither do _I_!"

After a few moments more, they both stopped. Clara rolled her head to the side, laying her ear over his heart. She frowned. She couldn't hear it beating.

"So, what's it feel like...?"

He sighed deeply, swallowing hard,

"What's what feel like?"

"Disappearing."

With a deep breath, Poison cleared his throat and shook his head,

"Oh, not so bad. Just like your being torn in half after being chained to a couple cars going 90 in opposite directions. Except there's no pop at the end and your guts don't spill out on the highway..."

Clara cringed at that, pushing herself up as her stomach began to turn,

"Okay, did you really need to go into detail on that one?"

"You _asked_ ," he grinned, shaking his head,

"What was I supposed to say? ' _Aw, shucks, it hurts like hell, little darlin'_?"

"You _could_ have."

Poison snorted at that. His eyes wandered the room, falling on Girl. She was laying in her corner, curled up like a kitten, with her toy robot in her arms.

"She's pretty pooped, huh?"

Clara smiled, nodding shortly as she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear,

"Yeah...she is."

He swallowed hard, coughing shortly as he turned his gaze back to Clara,

"Listen...when I'm gone-"

"Oh, don't start-"

"I'm _serious_ ," he insisted, smiling to himself,

"Kind of a first for me, so just...listen, okay?"

The fiery-haired man breathed deeply and closed his eyes,

"When I'm gone...I want you to look after her."

Cherri Cola straightened as he over heard these words and bit his lip, bowing his head as he stayed silent by the back door. Clara shook her head, offering a smile,

"It's not gonna come to that..."

"But if it _does_ ," he looked her square in the eyes,

"Even if Doc comes back and I don't disappear, I'm still gonna _die_ , Clara...and I want..."

He trailed off, biting is lip as he looked back over at the little girl.

"I don't want her to miss me."

They both silenced. After a minute, Clara smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes as she giggled,

"You called me 'Clara'."

"Well," he snickered, smiling back, "That's your _name_ , isn't it?"

They laughed again, Clara shaking her head with a sigh,

"I was thinking of taking a new one."

"Well, too bad. _Party Poison's_ taken," he smirked, shooting her a wink,

"You'll have to think of something else."

She giggled and shook her head. Pausing for a moment, she tapped her finger to her lip and grinned,

"How about... _Soufflé Girl_?"

The red head snorted at that,

" _Soufflé Girl_?"

"Yeah," she pouted, folding her arms, "Why not? I like making soufflés."

Poison laughed again, shaking his head,

"And what the ever living fuck is a _soufflé_?"

She gasped, shocked and appalled by this,

"You've never had a soufflé?"

"Do I look like the type of guy whose had a soufflé," he snickered, then pausing for a minute,

"Unless it's code for something _else_...then maybe I have had a soufflé. Maybe I've had a _couple_ soufflés..."

A bright red blush flushed over her face and she coughed, quickly shaking her head as he began laughing again,

"N-No. It is definitely not _code_..."

Smacking him lightly, she cracked a grin and shook her head,

"Well, when this is all over, I'll just have to make you one."

He gazed at her for a moment, sighing as he forced a smile,

"I'd like that..."

Finding himself gazing at her again, he quickly shrugged and cleared his throat,

"I mean so long as it's not _code_ -"

"It's not _code_!"

She smacked him again as he cackled, folding her arms across her chest,

"You're..."

~ø~

- _ **California - August - 2031**_ _-_

"... _Impossible_!"

The Doctor slowly started forward, shaking his head as he kept his eyes on the younger man,

"You can't be here...it's not possible...!"

Coming within inches of his face, he narrowed his eyes. The boy's mask, bright blue bearing a red 'X', obscured his face; making it impossible to tell.

Reaching up slowly, he felt his hearts stop as his fingers brushed the edge of it,

" _Party Poison_?"

The boy immediately grabbed onto the Doctor's arm and twisted it behind his back. He then kicked his knees out and shoved him to the dirt. Pressing the ray gun to the back of his head, he turned to Girl, snarling,

"Who's the old man, huh? Another one of their spies?"

"D wasn't a spy," she clenched her fists, shaking her head, "And neither is he! Now, let him go."

The flame-haired boy snorted at that, pulling the Doctor's arm even further back. He let out a yelp, to which Girl pulled a gun from her bag,

"I said 'let him go', _Val_!"

Rolling his eyes, he promptly let the Doctor fall to the dirt, taking a step back as the man struggled to get up. The Doctor groaned as he sat up, rubbing his arm sorely as he looked over the boy,

" _Val_? Since when was your name _Val_?"

"Since _always_ ," he sneered, keeping his gun out as he circled the Doctor like a vulture,

"And you _are_?"

"The Doctor," he began, struggling to his feet, "I'm here to help."

Val stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the wirey man,

" _You're_ the Doctor?"

The Doctor straightened at that, his eyes wide,

"Y-Yes! Do you remember me?"

The boy shot him a blank stare, soon beginning to snicker as he turned to Girl,

"The way you two built him up I thought this clown was gonna be some type of Superman or somethin'."

The Doctor glanced back at her as Val began to howl with laughter. She quickly looked away, her eyes downcast.

"So, you think _this guy_ ," he motioned to the Doctor, still laughing a little as he strolled up to her,

"Is gonna help us take down Batt City?"

He laughed again, this time right in her face,

"You know, at first I thought you were just being cute, but now...now I see how _stupid_ you actually are."

Girl glared at him menacingly as he turned and started away from them. He called back, waving shortly,

"We march at dawn, whether you come or not. And tell your _raggedy man_ there he ain't invited."

The Doctor straightened as Val disappeared into the horizon, turning back to Girl with a look of concern,

" _Take down Batt City_? _March at dawn_? What's going on here? What exactly are you planning to do?"

Girl shifted uncomfortably, wiping her nose as she pushed passed him,

"We're uh...gonna take down Battery City. What's it sound like?"

He grabbed her arm quickly, pulling her back with a jerk,

"What does it sound like," he narrowed his eyes as she looked to him, a defiant gleam in her eye,

"It sounds like you are about to make an awfully, awfully _big_ mistake...one that you won't ever be able to take back-"

Jerking her arm away from him, she adjusted the bag on her shoulder and snorted,

"Well, maybe I won't _want_ to."

"Girl, this is murder," the Doctor pressed, his eyes wide and pleading,

"Party Poison...the boys...they raised you better, _so_ much better than this-"

"Would you stop with the 'Party Poison' crap," she shrieked, shaking her head wildly,

"He wasn't _real_ -"

"Yes! Yes, he _was_ real," he grabbed her shoulders, gazing deeply into her eyes,

"And he taught you so much! So, so much! Some things, like the colourful vocab are _regrettable_...but the other things? He and the boys would never have lifted a finger against another person, not unless they were forced! They did not want to live in a world of chaos and killing, they were _thrust_ into it. They had no other option! The choices they made, they made to protect you-"

"Well, where are they now, then," she seethed, narrowing her eyes as they filled with tears,

"These so called 'protectors' of mine? Where were they when I lost Soufflé? And D? And Cola!?"

She pulled away from him, turning her back as she shook her head,

"I have had to live my whole life hiding away out here in this desert...trying to avoid the inevitable. The Cybermen patrol these parts like vultures! They-They've run every killjoy underground and then when we were all nice and cozy in our caves, they took dynamite and blew us right back out into the open!"

Sighing, she ran a hand through her curly locks and shook her head,

"We don't have a choice, anymore! It's either them or us!"

"But those are still people," the Doctor shook his head, "Living in that city. Those are still people with lives and families and if you do this-"

"We're doing it," she snapped, her eyes glowing with rage, "End of story."

She started away again, shouting back to him with a sigh,

"If you still wanna help, then I suggest you hurry up. Otherwise, get back in your stupid box and leave me the hell alone."

The Doctor sighed deeply, shaking his head. Folding his arms, he started back for the TARDIS. As he grabbed the door handle, he closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

"Wait!"

Girl turned to see him jogging toward her. He came to a stop and rubbed his hands together,

"Okay, okay, I'll do this, I'll help. But mark my words, _missy_ ," he said sternly, shaking a finger at her nose,

"No one dies. Do you understand?"

She snorted at this, rolling her eyes as she turned away,

"Whatever...just don't get in the way."

~ø~

He straightened as he heard a pair of footsteps heading his way, watching the sun come up over the horizon with a sigh,

"I thought I told you _Daddy Long Legs_ wasn't invited."

"If you think you're the first to come up with that one," the Doctor scoffed, rolling his eyes as Val turned to face them,

"You're _not_."

Girl stepped between them, placing a hand on Val's chest as he stepped forward,

"Trust me," she began, narrowing her eyes at him, "He's cool."

She then headed over to the other three standing nearby,

"So, are you guys ready to go?"

The Doctor straightened, smugly popping his bowtie at the flame-haired youth as he stepped around him. Girl turned as he stepped up beside her, motioning to the trio with a sigh,

"Doctor. This is Vinyl, Vaya, and Vamos."

"Whoa," the blue-haired on gasped, turning to the pink-haired one at their side,

" _The_ Doctor?"

"You've heard of me," the Doctor smiled.

The pink-haired one nodded,

"Oh yeah! Soufflé used to talk about you all the time! Said you'd come back one day and save us from the Cybermen."

The third in the trio stayed silent. Coughing shortly, the Doctor nodded,

"You all knew her as well?"

"Knew her? She practically raised us!"

"Yeah, we all loved Soufflé. Her fashion sense was _killer_! Too bad she's dead, now."

"Oi," the Doctor snipped, snarling at the pink-haired one,

"Don't say that!"

"Why not, _Doctor_?"

He turned as Val came strolling over, blue eyes narrowed behind his mask,

"It's true. When they take you to Batt City, you don't come back. You get upgraded. Everything about who you were is wiped out. Dust."

He came to a stop a few feet away from them,

"Soufflé sacrificed herself so our little ' _Messiah_ ' here could escape. She could have easily gotten away from them, but she stayed behind...all because she made a promise to some guy who never existed."

Vamos snorted, nodding shortly,

"Yeah, she was a little _kooky_."

"Party Poison was a bedtime story," Val continued, glaring the Doctor right in the eye,

"A story in her head that got her killed. She was stupid...but we're not. We don't believe in fairytales."

The Doctor clenched his fists tightly as he watched Val start for the city line.

Val paused as the first rays of dawn hit his eyes and cracked a smile,

"And now..."

He then turned back to the group, the sun slowly crawling into the sky,

"...it's time to march."

~ø~

- _ **California - 2019 - September-**_

Party Poison groaned, now sitting back against a nearby booth, and glanced down at his hand, sighing deeply. It was slowly growing faint, nearly see through, now. A smile struck him and he shook his head,

"Guess I really am Marty McFly..."

He snorted again, shaking his head as he glanced over at Clara, who was pacing nearby,

"Hey, didn't Doc _marry_ you in the third one?"

Clara straightened at this and blushed, shaking her head,

"I'm sorry, what?"

Poison stared at her blankly for a minute,

"Oh, c'mon..."

She raised an eyebrow silently. Rolling his eyes, he leaned his head back and let out another groan,

" _C'mon_ , throw me a bone here!"

"Poison?"

They both straightened as Girl began to stir, her little voice frantic as she looked around. He smiled, swallowing hard as he called to her,

"Over here, sweet pea..."

Looking to him, she sniffled and ran to his side, throwing her arms around him as she began to cry.

Holding her tight, he laughed softly, and ran a hand over her curly locks,

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare."

"Aw, that's no fun. Wanna tell me about it?"

She pulled away from him, wiping the tears from her eyes as she continued,

"You went away. I looked everywhere for you, but I couldn't find you."

His heart dropped at her words. She sniffled as her eyes filled with tears, eying how translucent his hand had become,

"Please tell me you won't go away, Poison. Tell me you won't leave me."

His mouth dropped open and he shook his head, forcing a smile,

"No...no, baby doll. I'm not goin' anywhere."

"You promise?"

He hesitated briefly, glancing down at his disappearing limb. Biting his lip, he turned his gaze back to her,

"I promise. I'm not going anywhere."

With a smile, the little girl wrapped her arms around him again and buried her face in his arm. A tear hit his cheek as he turned to look at Clara. She smiled at him, tears in her eyes as she covered her mouth.

Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes, squeezing Girl a little tighter as the minutes passed.

~ø~

- _ **California - 2031 - August-**_

As they reached the city line, they eyed a pair of Cybermen standing guard at the gate.

They ducked behind a rock formation, Val turning to the others with a sigh,

"Two sentries at the Tunnel. How do we get in?"

Swallowing hard, the Doctor grinned and pulled out the sonic screwdriver,

"Leave that to me..."

He started to get up, Girl quickly grabbing the tail of his coat and yanking him back down,

"Sit down. You'll just get your head blown off."

The Doctor scowled at that, glancing at the cat on her shoulder. It growled softly at him. He frowned, hissing back silently.

"Well, _Messiah_ ," Val sneered,

"What do you suggest we do?"

Sighing deeply, Girl stood from her spot and rounded the rock. The group gasped, watching her walk right out into the open and toward the Cybermen. They spotted her as well, raising their guns swiftly,

**"Halt. Identify yourself."**

Vaya turned to Vamos, shrieking through their teeth,

" _What the fuck does that wavehead think she's doing!?_ "

"Like I know," Vamos replied, "She's fucking _loco_..."

**"Identify."**

Girl smirked, holding her hands up in the air,

"I think you already know who I am..."

The sentries started toward her, to which her smile grew wider,

"Boom **.** "

At this, they immediately stopped.

The Doctor frowned, shaking his head as he watched more Cybermen appear at the gates,

" _Boom_? What does she mean by ' _boom_ '?"

~ø~

Madam Director stood in her office, watching the message replay on the monitors,

" _ **Boom.**_ "

The apparatus entwined on her arm blinked furiously, and she sighed,

"So, our little _pussy cat_ has come home, has she?"

She nodded to the man standing behind her and smiled,

"Korse, go and see that she's given a nice, warm bowl of milk."

Nodding in return, Korse turned and started down the hall. She then smiled and turned back to the screen, a smug look on her face,

"And here I thought we had lost you for good after the incident with _The Operator_. Seems she wasn't as good about hiding you as we all thought."

Spying another man in the background, she let out a laugh and sighed,

"Oh...and you, too? Why...if this isn't Christmas..."

~ø~

Girl motioned to the others to follow as the Cybermen grouped around them. Val groaned as he stood, arms raised above his head,

"I hope you know what you're doing."

They were lead into the city, a city filled with mindless drones that once used to be people. There were matching cyberlinks on every man, woman, and child as far as the eye could see.

The Doctor swallowed hard. So, this is what had happened to Battery City, this is what they meant.

He scowled. It wasn't possible. Destroying the console should have taken care of it.

Unless...

_'"I've just sent a slew of cybermites into Batt City to convert the populace. They'll break through the Zones and march on to whatever is left of your precious United States, converting and upgrading as they go, leaving nothing behind. How do you, just one man, and a_ _**dying one** _ _,_ _I might add...plan to stop me, ey?"'_

The Doctor swallowed hard. Mr. Clever had sent them to the city ahead of time. Some of the mites must have survived the overload. As they passed over the city line, he felt a strange tingle in his feet and straightened. The city was running on it's own electricity. The cybermites must have tapped into it and stayed online through the power drain. He cursed softly. There was only one way he knew of to fix this error...but it would require drastic measures. Measures he wasn't quite sure if he was prepared to take.

He straightened as the Cybermen stopped suddenly, parting to either side as a man with a long coat and a glistening, bald scalp strolled up to them,

"Hello, again...child of prophecy."

Girl narrowed her eyes at him, forcing a smile,

"Hello... _chrome dome_."

He smiled back, soon eying another in her group,

"I see you've brought the Doctor with you. Good. Now, we won't need to hunt him down."

"You make it sound like I'm in _season_ ," the Doctor scowled.

"Well, perhaps you are," Korse smiled.

He eyed the other four standing there, his eyes settling on the flame-haired youth at centre,

"Ah. Val. Is it ever so nice to see _you_ , again."

Val snarled at this,

"Go to hell."

"Hmm...yes, perhaps one day I will. And when that day comes, I'll be sure to send your dear _Soufflé_ your regards."

Val went to draw his gun at this, the others quickly grabbing him and holding him back as the Cybermen turned toward them,

"Val, don't!"

Korse smiled, turning to the Cybermen with a nod,

"Take them to a holding cell. We'll need to get them prepped for conversion."

He then turned and headed back inside.

Vaya and Vamos both straightened as they started inside, glancing about frantically,

"Hey! I thought you said this wouldn't end in us going belly up!"

"We're not _going_ 'belly up'," Val shouted over their frantic cries, turning to Girl with a scowl,

"Right, _Messiah_?"

She said nothing in return.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chim Chim Cheree**

"So...you brought us here to die."

The flame-haired youth groaned, leaning back against the wall of the cell. Girl sat across from him and rolled her eyes,

"Shut up."

She then turned to the Doctor, who was seated beside her,

"Well...?"

The Doctor frowned, shaking his head,

"Well, what?"

Girl snorted,

"How do we stop them?"

"How do you expect _me_ to know!?"

"'Cause you're the Doctor," she pressed, a sad look crossing her face,

"And Soufflé..."

The Doctor sighed, bowing his head as she continued,

" _I_ believe you can. Look, this is their strong hold! We're right in the centre of it! Can't your screwdriver shut the power off or something? Kill them at the core?"

The man frowned, straightening as he glanced down at it,

"Girl...Girl, that's brilliant!"

Leaning over, he gave her a peck on the forehead, and shook his head,

"How come I didn't think of that sooner!?"

She scowled, shifting her mouth to the side as he stood and headed for the door,

"Not the lips? Really, bro?"

The Doctor straightened and turned to her slowly,

"Why?"

"Why, what," she queried, a confused look on her face.

"'Not the lips'...why would you ask?"

Vaya and Vamos glanced back and forth between them, as though watching a tennis match. Vinyl remained as silent as ever. Girl shook her head,

"Um...I don't know? I remember you kissing people? Was kinda _excited_ about it-"

"Not _people_ ," the Doctor pressed, stepping back over to her,

"Just _one_ person. Do you remember? A man...a man with red hair and a nasty attitude...but surprisingly a _fantastic_ snog, Beverly was a lucky woman."

Girl bit her lip as she thought a moment. She could almost see him, the man the Doctor was describing, standing next to a graffiti-ridden, muscle car. She shook her head as he began to fade, soon disappearing all together. With a sigh, she shrugged,

"Nope. Nothing."

With a groan, the Doctor shook his head and went back to the door,

"Well, nevermind, then. Once I figure out how to correct this timeline, you'll remember him soon enough."

Sonicking the lock, he smiled as he pushed the door open, motioning to her with a grin,

"Ladies first..."

~ø~

They hurried down the hallway, the Doctor glancing around cautiously. This looked strikingly like the hallway from the security footage he had seen from the day the original Killjoys had infiltrated the building, the day that they had...

He shook his head and nodded to a room nearby, quickly heading inside,

"This way..."

Val scowled as he followed the pack, glancing around nervously. The room was lined with tubes and wires, all leading to a console at the centre. He raised an eyebrow,

"Is this it?"

"No," the Doctor began, swallowing hard,

"But it is _part_ of it..."

Waving the screwdriver at it, he pulled it up and read over the scan, cursing softly,

"They got smart. Broke the control centre into four separate parts."

"So, what do we do," Girl frowned.

Turning back to them, the Doctor sighed,

"We'll have to split up. You two, with the funny hair," he motioned to Vaya and Vamos,

"You head down the East wing and take out that panel. It'll be in a room exactly like this one."

He then turned to Vinyl, and nodded,

"And you, _Fezzik_ , you take the South end."

The dark-haired boy frowned at that, raising an eyebrow curiously,

"Princess Bride?"

The Doctor swallowed hard. Vinyl smiled,

"I like that movie."

"And what about us," Girl shook her head, watching silently as the Doctor waved the screwdriver at the console again. The whirring in the room soon came to a halt and the lights grew dim. With a smile, the Doctor turned to her, motioning to Val as well,

"You and _Howdy Doody_ over there are with me."

He then spun and quickly zoomed from the room. Val rolled his eyes.

Stepping up beside him, Girl eyed him up and down and let out a loud snort,

" _Howdy Doody_."

Her snickers turned to cackling as she followed the Doctor out of the room; Val trudging slowly behind them.

~ø~

The loud whine of sirens bounced off the walls of her office and she smiled, watching them on the monitors as they took out each of the control panels. Sighing, she turned and picked up the handheld radio nearby. Pressing a number of the buttons in sequence, she smiled again; leaving the room and heading down the hall. She greeted Korse in the hallway.

He smiled,

"You rang, Madam?"

~ø~

It only took a short time for all four consoles to power down. The Doctor smiled as the group met back up in the main entrance hall, nodding them toward the exit,

"All right, let's get out of here. Back to the TARDIS."

Val shook his head,

"That's it? We didn't even _kill_ anyone!"

"Ah, yes," the Doctor smiled, putting an arm around the younger man's shoulder as they walked,

"And we're gonna keep it that way."

The lanky man then glanced up, raising an eyebrow in concern. Girl was leading the pack...followed by him and Val. Vaya and Vamos and Vinyl held up the rear. They were slowly approaching the exit doors.

His eyes widened as he heard the sound of the elevator doors chime open.

Then, a scream.

Spinning on his heel, the Doctor straightened as he watched the pink-haired one collapse to the floor, their shoulder scorched from the burn of a laser. The blue-haired one knelt at their side, letting out a shriek,

"Vamos!"

Glancing up at the elevators, the Doctor's hearts stopped as he spotted Korse and a legion of Cybermen step out. They turned in synchronised fashion, marching fast toward them.

Quickly, the Doctor aided in helping Vamos to their feet, pulling them along,

"Run, now!"

Val smiled at this, his eyes widening in excitement as the party approached,

"Well, maybe there'll be some fireworks, after all."

Raising his gun, he fired back, the hot pink splashes bouncing effortlessly off of the steel of the Cybermen's armour. Girl spun on her heel, watching him rush into the fray,

"Val!"

The Doctor froze as he watched the red head take down Cyberman after Cyberman, coming within inches of them to shoot out their power cores.

He turned as he heard another scream. This time, the blue-haired one was down, the burn mark between their eyes spiralling smoke from it's centre. Vamos let out a yell, running to Vaya's side,

"No! Vaya!"

Reaching their side, Vamos knelt down, letting out a cry of agony at the loss. Another cry escaped them as a stray laser struck their chest, silencing them for good.

Girl straightened as she watched Vamos fall, shaking her head fearfully,

"No...no, no!"

Falling to her knees, she closed her eyes and clamped her hands over her ears.

The Doctor swallowed hard. It was happening again...the history that never was. Time was repeating itself.

Val let out a cackle as another Cyberman dropped, his eyes wild as he glanced around,

"Anyone else!?"

"How about me?"

The red head spun, startled as Korse suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the jacket. He slammed the boy against the wall, and set the nozzle of his gun under his chin.

The Doctor froze. Vinyl charged forward, gun drawn, only to be taken out by a pair of Cybermen who blocked his way. The Doctor shook his head, remembering that horrible security footage. How the shot had burned straight through his brain...how Party Poison had slumped to the floor in a lifeless heap. Girl's terrified screams. It was going to happen again, and this time, right in front of him.

Korse offered Val a sinister smile. His finger squeezed the trigger...

~ø~

- _ **California - September - 2019**_ _-_

Party Poison let out a yelp as his body began to flicker again, and Clara gasped, quickly kneeling down beside him,

"Party Poison!?"

She reached over to place a hand on his shoulder, eyes wide as it went straight through him instead. The rosary laced around his wrist hit the floor with a 'clack'.

Glancing up from him, she frowned. Girl and Cherri Cola seemed uneffected by the red head's cries of pain. After a few moments, he leaned back and looked down at it. He reached for it, desperately trying to pick it back up. His hand passed through it each time.

A sorrowful smile struck him, terror in his eyes,

"Guess this is it-"

"N-No," Clara shook her head, grabbing the rosary for him,

"No, it's not! You're fine! You're gonna be fine!"

She went to drop it in his hand, gasping as it passed through and hit the floor a second time.

He snorted at that, shaking his head as she picked it up and tried again,

"Clara, it's okay-"

"No, the Doctor will fix this," she stated with firm insistance,

"Everything will be fine! It _will_ -!"

" _Clara_ -"

"Who are you talking to?"

They both stopped and turned slowly to see Girl standing a few feet away. Confusion was written all over her face. Clara shook her head and glanced back over at Party Poison, snorting softly,

"I'm...I'm talking to Party Poison! Can't you see him?"

Girl shook her head as she gazed right at him, seeing only an empty spot on the floor,

"There's nobody there."

~ø~

_**-** _ _**California - August - 2031-** _

The Doctor let out a shout as the shot sounded, his eyes wide in horror,

"No!"

He then frowned. Val wasn't falling.

A Cyberman stood stock still beside them. What was it doing there?

Korse scowled as it held onto his wrist, eying the burn mark in the wall beside Val's head,

"What do you think you are doing? Stand down."

It did not listen and instead began to wrestle him for the gun.

After a short struggle, the Cyberman overpowered him, and aimed the gun straight at his head. Korse straightened, putting his hands up quickly in surrender,

"Put that down."

The Cyberman paused a moment. It kept the gun trained on him.

**"No,"** it replied.

Korse narrowed his eyes at it and snorted, confused,

"No?"

It fired a shot, hitting him square in the face, and the man collapsed to the ground.

**"No,"** it repeated, lowering the gun.

Val quickly raised his gun at it, the Doctor urgently waving him down,

"No, no, no! Val, _don't_!"

"Why not," Val snarled, red hair falling in front of his eyes,

"It's one of _them_ , isn't it!? We have to kill 'em, don't we!?"

"It just saved your life," the Doctor shouted, hurriedly marching over,

"I don't think shooting it is a good way to show your gratitude, now, stand down!"

He stepped over to it, his eyes wide as he pulled out the sonic,

"That being said...why _did_ you save us? What are you playing at?"

Girl straightened at the sound of marching, her eyes growing wide,

"What is that!?"

Val smirked, licking his lips with in excitement,

"Did they call the cavalry or what...?"

**"Run."**

The Doctor frowned as he gazed at the Cyberman, shaking his head,

"Not until you tell me why...why did you save him? Why are you helping us?"

**"Run,"** it repeated, a strikingly sorrowful tone in it's metallic voice,

**"You clever boy..."**

He straightened, hearts dropping as it black fluid began to leak from it's eyes.

Those words. It couldn't be...

Squeezing his eyes shut, he bowed his head, tears filling his eyes,

"Oh, no...no, no, no! _Clara_! Oh, Clara...!"

"Doctor!"

He turned away from her, eying more of them rounding the corner. Closing his eyes, he stepped right up to her, placing a hand on the side of her cold, steel face,

"I will fix this...I will make this right."

Pressing his head against her's, he let out a whimper and shook his head,

"I will save you, Clara Oswald...I promise."

**"That's what you said before..."**

He bit his lip, glancing back. Reinforcements were arriving and quickly.

With a lick of his lips, he gave the Cyberman a quick peck on the head and turned, quickly running to Girl,

"We need to go. Now!"

Val smirked as he cracked his neck, prepping for a fight. Grabbing the collar of the boy's jacket, the Doctor dragged him away as he and Girl ran for the exit.

They made their way out of the building under a hail of ray gun fire.

It was raining.

~ø~

"I thought you said that was suppose to work," Girl shouted as they ran through the streets, heading toward the Tunnel. The Doctor scowled, glancing behind them briefly as they ran,

"Well, obviously it didn't-!"

"Why not!?"

"I don't know!"

"Then, why did that Cyberman help us!?"

"Because it wasn't a _Cyberman_ ," he shot back, pain in his voice,

"It was _Clara_."

"Soufflé," she shrieked, her eyes wide,

"That was Soufflé!?"

They quickly darted into the alley as a pair of sentries blocked off the Tunnel entrance and the Doctor cursed, turning to the two teens with a hard swallow,

"Yes. That was her-"

"Well, then, we have to go back," Girl insisted, starting around him,

"We have to save her!"

"We can't save her," the Doctor hissed, quickly grabbing her arm,

"There's nothing we can do for her, now! She's been converted! She will never be the same ever again!"

"Then, what," she shook her head, tears in her eyes,

"We just leave her to die!?"

Val let out a sigh and leaned back against the wall, gun dropping to his side. The Doctor noticed the sudden change in his disposition and frowned.

Quickly, he shook his head,

"No, we are not going to leave her to die...but we aren't going back there, either."

"Then, what are we gonna do?"

He started down the alleyway, away from the Tunnel, tapping his screwdriver to his palm,

"We have to find another way out of the city. Now, that I know what's happened, I know how to fix it. I just need to get back to the TARDIS."

"What good'll it do," Val scowled, narrowing his eyes,

"The V's are dead...Soufflé's dead. And any minute now, we're gonna be the same way."

"Ooh, little ray of sunshine _you_ are," the Doctor scoffed as he reached the end, turning back to them with a frown,

"Now, think, is there any other way out? A secret path or something? An alternative route?"

They were both silent. The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, urging them on frantically,

"Well, _c'mon_! There's gotta be something!"

_"Left..."_

Val straightened as he hear a soft voice in his ear and glanced behind him. There was no one there.

Shaking his head, he turned forward, hearing it again,

_"Turn left."_

"Left?"

Girl straightened as she looked over at him, noting the confusion on his face,

"Left?"

"Yeah, left," he repeated, more sternly this time,

"We gotta turn left."

The Doctor straightened at those words and slowly looked over at him, eyes wide,

"Turn left?"

Rolling his eyes, Val popped his jaw in annoyance,

"Did I fucking stutter, _Doc_ _Brown_?"

Feeling a pang of pain in his hearts, the Doctor swallowed hard, gazing sadly at the flame-haired youth,

"No, no you didn't-"

"Then let's go, already. I'm not waiting around to get the _Windows 8_ treatment."

He straightened as Val marched past him, leaning toward Girl a bit as he watched him round the corner,

"Does something about Val seem odd to you, Girl?"

Girl frowned, shaking her head,

"No...why?"

He opened his mouth to reply just as Val cut him off, calling to them from up the road,

"C'mon!"

They rounded the corner, seeing that Val had pulled the lid off of a sewer drain,

"This way. I think it'll lead us out of the city."

~ø~

Madam Director scowled as she reached the ground floor, eying the numerous cybernetic corpses all around. Rounding the corner, she eyed Korse lying in a sparking heap. Rolling her eyes, she started for the door and shook her head,

"Must I do _everything_ myself?"

Marching out of the building, she went straight to the garage to fetch her car.

~ø~

The sewer was dark and dank, smelling foul with mold and mildew. Girl shivered as she eyed a rat scurry by, a chill surging down her spine,

"H-How far is it?"

Val remained silent. Girl scowled at this, raising her voice as she asked again,

" _Val_?"

"I don't think he knows," the Doctor shook his head, frowning in confusion,

"Do you, _Val_...?"

The boy glanced back at them, saying nothing at first. He then cleared his throat, his voice echoing off the walls,

"It's this way."

They kept pace, the Doctor coughing shortly as he turned to Girl,

"So, where'd you pick _him_ up, ey? _Flea market_?"

She snickered, shrugging a little as she glanced up at him,

"Something like that."

He sighed deeply, scanning the area with the screwdriver as they continued down the narrow path,

"Girl, you said...you said Clara _raised_ you..."

"Yeah," she nodded, glancing over at him curiously.

She frowned. There were tears in his eyes.

Coughing shortly, he swallowed hard, keeping his eyes on the sonic,

"Was she...was she all right?"

"All right," Girl smiled, shrugging shortly,

"She was great! Like the mom I never had..."

She narrowed her eyes as he turned his head away from her, breathing a sigh,

"Or...do you mean...was she all right when you never came back?"

A strange sound escaped him and he turned to her, biting his lip,

"I never meant...I _always_ meant to..."

She smiled, nodding shortly,

"She knew."

The Doctor coughed at that, quickly stepping ahead of her,

"Right...well, then. Getting on with it. Have you figured out where we're going, yet?"

Val stopped at the end of the tunnel, reaching a ladder that lead up. Grabbing onto it, he swallowed hard and tapped it with his knuckles,

"This looks like a way out."

The Doctor sighed as he approached it, cautiously climbing up to the manhole. He scanned the cover with the sonic, a smile flashing across his lips as he glanced back down at the boy,

"You're right! Lucky guess."

Val rolled his eyes as Girl started up the ladder after the Doctor, heading up the rear as they climbed to the surface. Pushing the cover aside, the Doctor crawled out onto the sandy, desert plain, taking in a deep breath of air. He then choked on it, smacking a hand to his chest as he turned back to Girl and Val,

"Ooh, that'll put hair on your chest. A bit toxic, the air right now. Will you two be all right?"

Girl coughed shortly, the wind tousling her hair a bit,

"I'll be okay."

"What about you, Val?"

Val shrugged as they started back out toward the desert, shaking his head,

"Sure, whatever."

The Doctor frowned at that, turning back to the boy with a sigh,

"Something the matter?"

He strolled over to him, hands on his hips,

"Still sulking about the fire show, are we? Well, sorry about that, _mate_. Trust me, though, it's better this wa-"

"You said that was Soufflé back there," Val snarled, glaring the Doctor in the eyes,

"That Cyberman was Soufflé...?

The lanky man sighed deeply, biting his lip as he nodded,

"Yes. Yes, that was her."

"And you left her behind. _Again_?"

Val snickered at the Doctor's silence, shaking his head as he took a few steps back toward Batt City,

"You know...I don't know why you ever looked for her in the first place. What did you have her do? Stand around and look pretty for you all day?"

The Doctor froze at his words, shaking his head with a frown,

"How do you know about that?"

"Know about _what_ ," the boy hissed, turning back to him with a scowl, "About how lousy you are at keeping promises?"

"No, about Clara," the Doctor shouted back, the wind beginning to kick up,

"The only person that knew about her...that I was _looking_ for her...it was him!"

" _Him_ ," Val shot back, snorting back, "Him, _who_!?"

"Party Poison," the Doctor pressed, a look of despair on his face,

"Michael Milligram! Whatever he wants to call himself!"

He stepped right up to the boy, glaring him straight in the eye,

"He was the only one who knew about Clara. The only one who saw her picture on that screen-"

"The Victorian woman...?"

Val breathed, confusion in his eyes. The Doctor smiled, an excited tone to his words,

"Yes...! Yes, the Victorian woman!"

Girl glanced back and forth between them, raising an eyebrow,

"What's going on here?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Val stiffened suddenly, his eyes growing wide. Glancing down, the Doctor eyed the tip of a lengthy blade protruding from the boy's chest. The fiery-haired youth swallowed hard, looking to him in fright,

"Doc...?"

The Doctor caught him quickly as he fell from the sword, eyes wide as he lowered the boy to the ground,

"Val!? Val!"

Turning his eyes upward, he spotted the Madam Director standing there; a wide smirk on her face,

"Hello, again. Doctor."

Motioning to Girl, the Doctor stood and stepped away from Val, anger set into his eyes,

"Go-Go."

~ø~

_-_ _**California - September - 2019** _ _-_

"What'chya mean? Of course there's someone here," Clara snorted, shaking her head,

"It's Party Poison! You remember, yeah?"

Girl shook her head shortly.

Clara straightened at this, glancing around at the room in shock. Everything was gone. The colours, the brightness...all replaced with age, decay and dust. It was as though no one had ever called this rundown Diner home.

She glanced back at Party Poison, her eyes filling with tears. He was fading fast. He offered her a sad smile, and glanced around, shaking his head,

_"It's okay, Clara."_

"The Doctor will fix this," she whimpered, a few gliding down her cheek,

"I swear! He'll fix it, he has to!"

Smiling, he placed a finger to her lips and shook his head. He then moved to wipe the tears from her eyes, but found that his finger met nothing. She could not feel his touch.

Cherri-Cola cursed as he spotted something in the distance, and started back over to her and Girl,

"They're headed this way. Got us flanked. We're sitting ducks."

Clara gasped as she stood and glanced out the windows, eying the cybernetic army that approached from both sides. Girl whimpered, hugging her robot toy close,

"What do we do, _P2_?"

Party Poison straightened at that, looking to Girl in surprise. He then noticed the small decal on the robot's forearm, a sticker bearing the marking **P-2.** Frowning thoughtfully, he glanced over at the bar. The radio was still there...as was an alarm clock.

His eyes widened,

_"Clara."_

Clara glanced down as he weakly pulled himself to his feet. He smirked at her, shooting her a wink,

_"I've got an idea."_

~ø~

_-_ _**California - August - 2031** _ _-_

Girl knelt down next to Val, not exactly sure of what to do. She pulled him up, setting her jacket under the hole in his back. Her eyes filled with tears as she gazed at him, shaking her head,

"Hold on, okay? Hold on!"

"Go-Go," Madam Director giggled, leaning back on her hip with a smile,

"Hmm...it's been _ages_ since I heard _that_ name."

The Doctor frowned, shaking his head in confusion,

"How? How can that be," he began, searching his brain for the answers, "If Party Poison never existed then the angels would never have come here in the first place-!"

"And _I_ would never have been a Killjoy," she continued, turning her gaze to Val,  
"I would have stayed in the city my whole life...never have known the feel of the desert wind against my skin; the joyous freedom of this lifestyle. The speed, the sex, the _rock 'n' roll_. He would have been so much easier to get over."

"You remember Party Poison," the Doctor breathed, his eyes wide.

She narrowed her eyes, her smile fading quickly,

"Of course I remember Party Poison. He's a hard man to forget."

"But how!? In this timeline, he should never have existed at all! Even Girl can't remember-"

"Well, Girl didn't exactly _know_ him the way I did, Doctor."

Girl's eyes widened at that and she glanced up at the Doctor, frowning in concern,

"What is she talking about?"

"You're too young, never mind," the Doctor waved her off, shaking his head,

"It doesn't matter how she knew him, the point is he never existed for you to have your little..."

He blushed, making an awkward motion at her as he coughed,

" _Snapchats_ with! The fact that you remember can only mean..."

He then paused, swallowing hard as a smile crept across his lips,

"It can only mean he still existed somewhere."

"Well, yes," she smiled, again glancing down at Val and Girl,

"But not for much longer."

~ø~

_-_ _**California - September - 2019** _ _-_

_"Now, loop that wire in there."_

Clara nodded, fumbling with the radio according to his instruction,

"Okay. Now, what?"

Cherri-Cola cursed as he paced back and forth, shaking his head,

"We're wasting time. We have to go!"

_"There should be a vending machine outside. Ask Cola for the Vend-a-Hack."_

"The Vend-a- _what_?"

"The Vend-a-Hack," Cherri-Cola frowned, "What do you need it for?"

"J-Just give it to me," she said excitedly, hopping up from her seat on the floor,

"Quick!"

He pulled it from his vest and she hurried outside, Poison following closely behind.

_"Put the card in that slot."_

She did as he instructed, straightening as the device lit up,

"Okay..."

Her brows furrowed as the next screen came up, dozens of numbers flashing by at once,

"What do I do now?"

_"Chim Chim Cheree."_

Clara straightened, shaking her head,

"Chim Chim Cheree? From Mary Poppins?"

_"Oh, look at that,"_ he grinned, snorting softly, _"One you_ _ **finally**_ _know..."_

"What does that have to do with anything!?"

_"It's the passcode! The tune is the passcode!"_

She frowned at this, thinking for a moment as she glanced over at him,

"You used _Chim Chim Cheree_ as your passcode."

_"Yeah, you can thank Tommy for that one,"_ Poison shook his head, nodding to the device,

_"Just do it, they're gettin' closer!"_

"All right!"

Biting her lip, he softly sung in her ear as she put in the code,

_"Chim Chim-i-ney, Chim Chim-i-ney, Chim Chim Cheree...when you're with a sweep you're in glad company..."_

Clara smiled at that, singing along with him as she finished up,

"Nowhere is there a more happier crew...than them wot sings, ' _Chim Chim Cher-ee, Chim Cher-oo'..._ "

The device dung and she smiled, glancing over at him fondly. He smiled back, nodding down to it with a cough,

_"You'll need the big boys. And probably a couple guns for you and Cola."_

Nodding shortly, she looked back down at the screen and tapped away at the buttons,

"Okay, gotcha."

Pulling them out of the machine, she smiled and turned to him,

"Now, what?"

_"Now,"_ Poison turned, marching back inside as Clara followed close behind,

_"Work those wires into the battery and start the clock."_

"Right."

Cola frowned as he watched fix the battery to the radio, his eyes widening,

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Is that a bomb!?"

Clara paused as she glanced up at him,

"Is it!?"

She turned her startled gaze to Poison,

"Am I building a bomb!?"

~ø~

_**-** _ _**California - August - 2031** _ _**-** _

"What do you mean by that?"

"Doctor!"

Spinning on his heel, the Doctor turned to Girl, eyes wide as he glanced down at Val. The boy was fading quickly. Kneeling down, he, too, took off his coat and placed it to the boys wound, eyes wide,

"Val! Val, hold on!"

He let out a yelp, lurching in pain. Grabbing the Doctor's wrist, he gagged, gasping for air,

"Doc-"

"Shut up," the Doctor snipped, keeping his coat firmly in place,

"Don't try to talk."

"But why-"

"Why _what_?"

"Why," he winced, his face contorting in agony, "Why do I remember...statues?"

The Doctor straightened, his eyes wide as the boy continued,

"...and...and her face...? She's so sad...she's so..."

He began to cough, blood spattering onto his lips as he choked on it.

"Who's face, Val," the Doctor pressed, swallowing hard,

"Who's sad? Who is she?"

"I-I don't know," he whispered, his eyes filling with tears,

"...but...but I think she was my wife?"

Girl straightened at this, glancing up at the Doctor in confusion,

"His _what_?"

"But I'm not married," he choked, "No one...no one loves me..."

The Doctor smiled at that, placing a hand on the boy's head,

"Beverly did."

Val swallowed hard as he gazed up at the man, shooting him a startled look,

"She was real...?"

"Oh, yes," the Doctor smiled, leaning in closer as he boy's grip began to weaken,

"Yes, she was very real..."

To this, Val gasped, a tear escaping him as he smiled,

"It's funny...I always wanted someone...to look at me the way Soufflé had...when she'd talk about you...and _Party Poison_...but I never thought," he laughed as his mind trailed off, his eyes beginning to fog over,

"I can see _her_ , now...guess someone out there loved me, after all."

The Doctor straightened as the boy relaxed, ceasing all movement.

Girl let out a gasp, shaking him gently,

"Val? Val!"

Rising to his feet, the Doctor turned, his eyes narrowed as the Madam Director smiled,

"There. Now, he's dust."

"What do you mean," the Doctor raised his voice, fists clenched at his sides,

"' _Now, he's dust_ '? What are you talking about!?"

"Isn't it obvious, Doctor," she smiled, shaking her head,

"Why, you're so smart, I thought you'd have figured it out already..."

"Enlighten me."

Sighing, she shook her head, running her fingers over the blade,

"I suppose...if I must."

Swiping her blade through the air, she watched in satisfaction as the spilled droplets of the boy's blood splashed onto the Doctor's face and clothes, her eyes glowing viciously,

"I haven't been _completely_ honest with you..."

He straightened, eyes wide as two women, identical to her, stepped out from behind her.

"Or rather," she smiled, the one to her left pulling a whip from her coat,

" _We_ haven't been completely honest."


	12. Chapter 12

**BOOM**

The Doctor straightened as the three women approached him, waving the screwdriver at them. Girl, looking away from the lifeless boy in her arms, gasped as she spotted them,

"Doctor...? Why are there three of her?"

The Doctor shook his head, hastily scanning from one to the next,

"They're fakes. Cybernetic copies made to look exactly like their host..."

His eyes widened as he read the last one, frowning in confusion,

"All three of them..."

"Like I said," the one at centre began,

"We haven't been completely honest with you..."

She started forward, her two counterparts beginning to circle them like vultures,

"When I was sent back by the angels all those years ago...I travelled a little farther than I originally expressed..."

She sighed, wistfully turning her gaze to Val's body,

"It wasn't quite 15 years..."

The Doctor frowned.

Looking to him, she offered him a smile,

"It was-"

~ø~

Somewhere in an office building, deep in the centre of Battery City, she sat in a room all alone. Tubes and wires lead from her frail, aging body to the machines which kept her alive. Her hair was long and flowing white. Her face sagged with wrinkles, her skin was marked with age spots. She could no longer see through the cataracts which clouded her eyes. Her breath was heavy, harsh with exertion.

But she still smiled that same smile, vicious like a viper with a venomous bite,

"-80."

~ø~

"1939," the Doctor shook his head,

"But how, then...how can you possibly be alive!? You'd have to be-"

"117 years old," she shrugged, shaking her head,

"It's surprisingly easy to do once you've obtained degrees in both science and robotics. All I had to do was put the two together and voila! Here I am."

"I don't understand," he shook his head, his gaze dropping to the floor,

"If you were dumped off in 1939...then, why did you tell Poison it had only been 15 years for you? Why would you do that?"

"I couldn't allow him to think of me as an old woman, Doctor," she sighed deeply,

"I had my pride to think about-"

"There's no shame in growing old," he snipped, narrowing his eyes, "I should know..."

"Yes, but somewhere in my vain, little heart, I hoped he and I could still be together."

She set ran her fingers over the tip of the blade, slitting her fingers open. There was no blood, just a tear in the layer of latex she used as skin. The Doctor shook his head,

"You loved him?"

"Of course I did," she snapped, looking him square in the eye,

"I was _naive_. And he had a charming nature that made it hard not to. Too bad he never felt the same..."

She turned away from them, her clones keeping them boxed in. Bowing her head, she sighed deeply,

"He had a reputation in the Zones, you see... if he wasn't with the bots, then it was Hot Chimp...if not her then Tommy Chow Mein. Even _Show Pony_ knew his way around that boy's pants. I was just another dish at the buffet to him. Hell, if he'd had the chance, he'd probably have made dessert out of _you_."

The Doctor blushed, coughing shortly as he shook his head,

"The night before he was sent back, I asked him where he wanted to go. He told me the Hollywood sign, said there was some history there between him and a certain young woman...'got busy behind the double Os', he said. But as he gazed at those city lights, as he remembered that girl and that moment, he _cried_.

He cried for _you_...!"

Madam Director turned to him them, her eyes wide,

"Did he now? Is that why he married _her_?"

"Married _her_ ," the Doctor straightened, nearly breathless,

"You knew about Beverly..."

"She was a very pretty girl," the woman smiled, thinking back on it fondly,

"Smart. Funny. A bit of a bad apple herself. They were perfect for each other. It's a shame about those mirrors, though. If only they hadn't broken, why, she and Party Poison might still be together."

Girl shook her head, glancing back and forth between them,

"Doctor, what is she talking about? What mirrors? Who's Beverly?"

The Doctor swallowed hard as he glared at Madam Director, the feeling of rage boiling deep within him,

"It was you...you were there."

Her snake like lips turned upward into a smile.

~ø~

_**-** _ _**California - September - 2019** _ _-_

"Am I making a bomb!?"

_"Yes! Yes, you're making a bomb!"_

He spun to face Cherri-Cola, shooting him a gesture he could not see,

_"Thanks for spilling the beans_ _**as usual** _ _, dickhead!"_

Clara's eyes widened as she turned back to the device, keeping as still as possible,

"Why am I making a bomb!?"

"You don't _know_ ," Cola shouted, quickly grabbing Girl by the shoulder and pulling her back a ways from the woman.

_"You're gonna take out those Cybermen with it! What's it look like!?"_

"But a bomb has to be detonated," she stammered, shaking her head,

"And I'm not sticking around here to make it go boom!"

_"I know you're not,"_ his voice grew quiet as he gazed at her, _"That's why there's a timer."_

Clara frowned as the expression on his face grew sad, and slowly, she stood.

_"Set it for 3 minutes,"_ he began, wiping his nose shortly,

_"That should be enough for you three to get away."_

He walked over to the bar, sitting down in one of the stools. She shook her head, stepping around the bomb and Cola as she shrieked,

"And what are you gonna do!?"

_"Someone has to stay back and make sure it goes off."_

The petite woman shook her head, her voice raised in panic,

"No...no way! You are _not_ doin' that!"

_"You said the Doctor will fix this,"_ he snipped, gazing up at her with the same intensity in his eyes that she had seen when she had first met him,

_"Do you believe that?"_

Pausing momentarily, she nodded, gasping softly as a tear slid down her cheek,

"Yes..."

Standing up again, he strolled over to her, offering a smile,

_"Then, what does it matter? Once he fixes things...it'll be like this never happened, right?"_

Her lip quivered at that,

"Please, don't..."

The red head laughed softly as she began to cry, tearing up a little himself,

_"Aw, c'mon...don't make this any harder than it has to be..."_

"But...you'll _die_ ," she gasped.

He shook his head, biting his lip as he began to grin,

_"You can't kill what doesn't exist, girly..."_

She laughed a little at that, and he coughed, nodding toward the other two,

_"Go. Quick, before they get here."_

Swallowing hard, she glanced out the window. She could see them at the edge of the lot, coming ever closer.

Turning back to him, she swallowing hard,

"He'll fix this. He'll bring you back, I swear."

He smiled at her, a sad, little smile, and placing his translucent hand on her cheek, softly whispered,

_"Goodbye, Clara."_

With a sorrowful sob, the woman turned away from him and hurried back over to the device. Setting the timer for three minutes as he had instructed, she pulled the other two along with her, heading for the back door. She glanced back one last time, but said nothing. She didn't have to.  
The broken look on her face spoke volumes in her stead.

Party Poison laughed softly to himself as she disappeared from his sight, pushing himself weakly off of the stool. He strolled over to the bomb and knelt down, watching the timer count down for a bit. As it reached one minute, he stood, staggering over to the back windows. Clara, Cola, and Girl were a ways off now, safe from the blast radius. He swallowed hard as he gazed at the child, biting his lip with a sigh.

"You're a brave boy."

Jumping at the sound of a voice, he spun on his heel to see a woman with scraggly, blonde hair sitting on top of the device. She offered him a smile as she stood and strolled forward,

"She's right. The blast will kill you."

_"What the fuck,"_ he shook his head, eyes filled with panic, _"How did you even get in here!? You need to go-"_

"Eh, it's all right. I've got all the time in the world," she grinned with a shrug.

_"Who are you_?"

The woman smiled, her voice becoming soft again,

"No one, really," she began, stepping right up to him, "Just a lone wolf..."

_"Why are you-"_

"Because," she reached up, placing a hand on his cheek. He frowned, strangely able to feel her touch.

"No one should ever be alone when the end comes reeling..."

The fiery-haired man bit his lip at that, turning away from her and back to the window.

She sighed deeply,

"She's not wrong, though...the Doctor will fix this. He always does."

_"I hope you're right_. _"_

Hearing nothing, he glanced back to see that the woman had disappeared. Only ten seconds remained on the clock.

He turned back to the window. Girl was just disappearing over the hill, her tiny, toy robot dangling at her side as she ran. He smiled, his eyes filled with tears.  
At least she was safe.

The sound of the beeping continued behind him, seeming almost to slow down.

Unable to see her now, he laughed, breathing softly as the timer hit 0,

_"See you 'round, sweet pea._ "

~ø~

_BOOM._

Clara gasped as they reached the bottom of the hill, eyes wide as she spotted the fireball that spiralled up high into the air. Cola grabbed her wrist as she stopped, quickly dragging her away,

"C'mon! We have to run!"

~ø~

- _ **California - August - 2031**_ -

"Well, yes, of course I was there," she smiled, seeming almost insulted,

"Did you think those mirrors broke all by themselves?"

"You ruined their lives," the Doctor shouted, eyes burning with anger as his fists clenched at his sides.

"No, _you_ did," she corrected, her short, black hair becoming caught in the breeze,

"You were taking him back home anyway, I only gave them a push."

He swallowed hard, bowing his head as she continued,

"And so what? It was a fixed time, wasn't it? That woman was always meant to spend the rest of her miserable days alone and unloved-"

"You should talk."

Her eyes narrowed at that, turning steel-like as she started toward him,

"I _am_ talking, Doctor. She didn't deserve him! Oh, poor, neglected, little Beverly! Daddy didn't treat her right! Wanted her to marry a strong, dashing soldier man, so he fixed her up with the son of an old colleague. And they got on great, but he was just so," she sighed, mockingly pressing a hand to her heart,

" _Abusive_. He made her feel like the worthless little worm she was-"

"She was not worthless-"

"Oh, but she _was_! A spineless, pathetic little shit with no _backbone_! She wasn't worth the air it took to speak her name! She was garbage-!"

"Not to Michael, she wasn't!"

The woman went silent. The Doctor hissed, his bangs falling before his eyes as he adjusted his jacket,

"Is that why you did all this? Why you ruined thousands of peoples lives by having them converted into mindless, colourless, emotionless zombies? Why you devastated an entire city and left it a shell of it's former self!? Because you got your _heart_ _broken_ by a _boy_!?"

She smiled at that,

"The aftermath is secondary, Doctor."

The Doctor shook his head, running his hands through his hair as he scrambled for words,

" _Secondary_!? If you loved him... _Eri_ , if you truly loved him, you would have let him go! You wouldn't have let your hatred rot your heart because you would have seen," he smiled as he thought back to that day on the beach, seeing her kiss him in the way that she did. He remembered the pain and the loss, and how he turned and walked away, leaving her behind again. But she hadn't been alone that time. She'd had a piece of him to remember him by,

"How happy he would be...how he _could_ be! And yes, the memories would hurt, but that's what love is! Love is pain and feeling and it _hurts_! But it can also feel _good_! It can _free_ you! It can make you _better_ , can't you see that?"

"The only thing I see," she stated, her eyes cold and dead,

"Is a lifetime of regret."

"Then, I pity you."

He straightened as he spotted a figure approaching her from behind. She and her clones seemed unaware of it's presence.

With a hiss, the woman scowled, narrowing her eyes at him,

"What did _she_ have that _I_ didn't...can you tell me that? What did _she_ do? What made _Beverly_ so damn special!?"

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, a smirk crossing his lips,

"Two words."

She frowned as the Doctor to a step toward her.

He straightened his bow tie in an almost defiant manner, a knowing grin on his face as the figure clamped it's hand down on top of her head,

" _Matt_. _Damon_."

Madam Director let out an electrified shriek as a pulse shot through her brain. She crumpled to the ground, the other two quickly turning in defense. A single Cyberman stood there, trails of oil leaking from it's eyes as it turned to the Doctor,

**"Go. Now."**

Nodding, he quickly ran to Girl and dragged her to her feet,

"C'mon, we have to run!"

They tracked across the desert, Girl glancing behind briefly. The Cyberman struggled against the two clones, ultimately going down upon being pierced through the chest by her sword.

The two clones then turned and started after them.

Girl gasped at this, turning back to the Doctor urgently,

"What are we gonna do!?"

"We have to get back to the TARDIS!"

She glanced back again. They were approaching fast.

"I don't think we have time for that!"

He glanced back as well. She was right, they'd never make it.

"Can't you call it or something!?"

"Can't I call what!?"

"The TARDIS," she yelled, swallowing hard, "You have a phone don't you!?"

"Yeah, well, lot of good it does if there's no one on board to pick it up!"

He thought for a moment, his eyes widening as he pulled out his phone,

"Wait a minute... _you_!"

" _Me_ ," she shrieked, glancing back again,

"Me, what!?"

" _You're_ on board," he rummaged through his coat, pulling out a small, flip phone.

Pulling the antennae up with his teeth, he quickly dialed the number and put the phone to his ear.

Girl shook her head,

"I'm pretty sure I'm not!"

"Yes, you are," he continued, the phone still ringing,

"Twelve years ago, you are! In the other timeline, I sent you off in the TARDIS to keep Korse and his CyberDracs from catching you! If I'm right, then somewhere out there, right now, a six-year-old you is travelling about in the time vortex, a shoot off from the old timeline! If I can get through to her, we might have a shot!"

Girl stared up at him blankly, blinking in shock,

"You are fucking crazy, bro."

"Tell me something I _don't_ know!"

~ø~

- _ **The Time Vortex-**_

Girl straightened as the phone on the console began to ring. Hopping up from Fun Ghoul's bedside, she toddled out to the control room, grunting softly as she reached for the dangling cord. She couldn't quite reach.

"Here," said the woman with scraggly blonde hair. She reached up and handed the child the phone.

Girl took it with an excited smile, bringing the receiver to her ear,

"Hello?"

_**"Hello, Girl? It's the Doctor!"** _

A pout crossed her face and she scowled, turning to the woman in disappointment,

"What? Lame! I thought you said we were gonna find Poison!"

_**"You remember Party Poison!?"** _

"Of course I remember Party Poison," Girl frowned, shaking her head,

"What kind of question is that?"

~ø~

- _ **California - August - 2031**_ -

The Doctor let out a cackle at that and kissed the receiver, letting out an exuberant shout,

"Oh, Girl! I could kiss you! You perfect little girl!"

_**"Please, don't. That would be weird."** _

"Doctor," Girl glanced back, eyes wide as the clones were almost right on them,

"Could you hurry it up a bit, maybe!?"

"Right," the Doctor cleared his throat, glancing back nervously as well,

"Girl, I need you to bring the TARDIS around and pick us up! Can you do that?"

" _ **I'm six-years-old. Does it**_ **look** _ **like I can drive a flying box?"**_

The Doctor glanced over at the teenager beside him, scowling slightly,

"Oi, you were a _sassy_ one, weren't you?"

She smiled at that,

"I learned from the best."

"The best? You mean _Soufflé_?"

"Pfft, please. Poison was way-"

She trailed off, her eyes wide as she glanced over at him,

"Why did I say 'Poison'?"

The Doctor grinned, letting out another laugh as he turned back to the receiver,

"Girl, you get that box in gear, now!"

~ø~

- _ **The Time Vortex-**_

"I just told you," Girl shook her head, her eyes wide as she smacked a hand to her face,

"I'm only six! I don't know how!"

"I think I can help with that..."

She gasped as she heard a voice come from behind her, a bright smile on her face.

~ø~

- _ **California - August - 2031**_ -

_**"Doc, where are you?"** _

The Doctor straightened at the sound of a male voice over the phone, his eyes wide,

"Oi, who the hell is this?"

He heard an audible groan and the light bulb clicked on, his voice squeaking in surprise,

"Wait a minute...Fun Ghoul!? Fun Ghoul is that you!?"

_**"No, it's a burglar and I'm just giving you a courteousy call before I make off with your box. Who the fuck else would it be?"** _

"The name Baggins comes to mind..."

" _ **Oh, ha ha. Fuck you."**_

"Doctor," Girl shouted in a panic beside him.

"Right, yes," the Doctor cleared his throat, hearing the loud crack of a whip snap inches from his ear,

"I'll give you the location! It's-!"

It suddenly coiled around his leg and he tripped, the phone flying from his hands.

" _ **It's what!? What is it!?"**_

Girl gasped as she caught the phone in her hand, spinning on her heel as she came to a sliding halt,

"Hello?"

" _ **Whoa, who the fuck is this?"**_

"Um...I'm Girl."

~ø~

- _ **The Time Vortex-**_

Fun Ghoul straightened at that, narrowing his eyes as he turned to the six-year-old beside him.

She raised an eyebrow at him,

"What?"

~ø~

- _ **California - August - 2031**_ -

_**"Forget I asked. Where's Doc?"** _

"He's uh...," she looked up, swallowing hard as she watched the two clones wrap their whips around his various limbs,

"A little tied up at the moment."

Her eyes widened as one of them then took the katana in hand, and slashed him across the front.

He let out a cry of pain, soon becoming silenced as one the one to his left placed a gag in his mouth. Girl's eyes widened at this, and she swallowed hard as she watched it lace the whip about the Doctor's thighs and throat,

"Oh my _God..._."

" _ **Just tell me where you are! Maybe I can figure it out!"**_

"Uh, we're just outside Batt City," she glanced down eying a hefty rock nearby.

" _ **How far?"**_

"About a mile," she knelt down and picked it up, squeezing it in her hand,

"Maybe two..."

" _ **Okay..."**_

~ø~

- _ **The Time Vortex-**_

"Okay," he frowned, twisting a few dials to track down the right spot,

"No latitude/longitude by any chance."  
 _ **"Not really!"**_

"Okay, okay," he stepped to the next panel, frowning slightly,

"It's asking for a year."

" _ **2031...I think."**_

His eyes widened, and he shook his head,

"2031!?"

He turned to Girl, his eyes wide in shock,

"How long have I been out?"

Girl shrugged.

~ø~

- _ **California - August - 2031**_ -

_**"All right, I'm on my way."** _

She nodded, swallowing hard as she squeezed the rock in her hand,

"And could you, uh...could you hurry please? I may be dead in a minute."

" _ **You what?!"**_

Tossing the phone down, she charged at the clone whose back was turned from her. Reaching up, she wrapped her arm around it's throat and slammed the rock down on it's head. The Doctor gasped for air as the clone was yanked away; pulling the gag from his mouth as it went.

He then straightened, letting out a shout as the other one went for Girl,

"Girl!"

She gasped as she spun around, eyes wide as the black-haired woman charged straight toward her.

She threw the rock, missing by a mile and swallowed hard. The woman reared back, ready to bring the blade down on the young woman's head. The blade came down...


	13. Chapter 13

**Remember Me**

Girl flinched as the blade came toward her, falling back to the dirt. She waited for the blow.

And waited...

...and waited.

Slowly opening her eyes, she found her view of Madam Director was now blocked by an open door bearing the symbol of **St. John Ambulance**.

Madam Director frowned as she pulled at her sword, now embedded in the panels of a wooden, blue door.

Glancing to her left, she eyed a dark-haired man standing in the doorway beside her,

"Not today, bitch."

Pulling a lime green gun from a holster hidden beneath his vest, he planted a laser between her eyes.

With a twitch, she fell to the dirt, the hole beginning to spark and smoke.

The Doctor straightened as he laid eyes on the man, letting out a near giddy squeal,

"Fun Ghoul!"

Rushing forward, he grabbed the man by either side of his face and planted a kiss on his lips, pulling away quickly,

"Ugh, slimy..."

He then pushed passed him, rushing to the console. Fun Ghoul smirked, shaking his head as he wiped his mouth,

"P's right, you _do_ use tongue."

Pushing herself up from the floor, Girl rounded the door and edged inside, her eyes wide as she eyed the little girl standing there,

"Uh..."

Ghoul straightened as he spotted her, glancing back and forth between them,

"Oh, whoa..."

The six-year-old frowned, raising an eyebrow,

"Who are you?"

"Uh," she frowned, "The toothfairy."

The little girl's eyes widened at that,

"Really?"

After a second, she inched passed her and swallowed hard,

"Nope."

Keeping as far away as possible,she hurried over to the Doctor and coughed,

"Um, Doctor? Isn't this kind of a bad idea?"

"What's a bad idea?"

"Me," she nodded to the kid, "And her. In the same room."

"Oh, don't be silly," he replied, waving off her concern, "It'll be fine...unless you touch each other of course, that might blow a hole in the universe."

She laughed at that, her face falling as he looked up to her with a serious look,

"I wasn't kidding."

"Oh," she swallowed hard, pressing herself back against the railing as far from the child as possible,

"Right."

"Now," he continued, circling the console as the TARDIS whirred to life,

"I've got an idea, but I need a gun."

"A gun," Ghoul shook his head, "For what?"

"I need to fashion a super pulser. One with a big enough punch to cut the power off to an entire city."

"You're gonna cut the power off to Battery City?"

"No," he wagged a finger a the man, shaking his head with a smile,

"Just to the army that's marching on it, right now."

"Army," the younger Girl frowned, shaking her head, "What army?"

"The army of Cybermen that I sent, well _Mr. Clever_ sent. Try to keep up."

"Why would you send an army of Cybermen onto Batt City," her older counterpart frowned,

"I thought you were on our side."  
"I am. _He_ wasn't," the Doctor groaned, flipping a few more switches,

"I got taken over by the cyber planner, _his_ name's Mr. Clever. _He_ sent the Cybermen to Battery City to convert the populace, which they did, thanks to Go-Go and the never-ending electricity buzzing through that place. I didn't take that into account when we, well," he pointed at the six-year-old, " _You_ destroyed the console. I thought that was it, but they stayed online because of the immense power supply in the city. They then killed Cherri-Cola causing Party Poison to disappear, thus disrupting your proper timeline."

"Wait, Poison's gone," Ghoul frowned, holding himself carefully as he stepped toward the Doctor,

"What are you talking about?"

"I just told you. When Cherri-Cola died," the Doctor began, clearing his throat,

"Party Poison ceased to exist."

The dark-haired man shook his head,

"Still not following you."

Pressing his hands to his eyes in aggravation, the Doctor let out an exasperated sigh,

"Cherri-Cola is Party Poison's father."

Ghoul froze for a minute, his eyes going wide. He then snorted, letting out a cackle as the Doctor stepped away,

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, why," the Doctor groaned, "Don't tell me they _Twittered_ in a jeep, too."

He glanced up at Ghoul, who said nothing, his mouth dropping open in shock,

"Did they!?"

Ghoul snickered, his face turning bright red,

"You said not to tell you."

Grabbing the control panel, the Doctor gagged,

"Well...he certainly likes to keep it in the family, doesn't he?"

~ø~

 _-_ _**California - September- 2019 -** _

They stepped out quickly, Ghoul gasping as he eyed the overturned Trans Am,

"Oh my God...!"

"Don't worry," the Doctor called, rushing toward the car,

"They're fine. They got away a while ago."

"Then, what are we doing here?"

He bent down, glancing in the back seat with a groan,

"They didn't have it with them so it must still be...a-ha!"

Rummaging around, he pulled the bazooka out from the behind the driver's seat. He cringed as the barrel popped off, swinging by a screw as he stood. Shrugging, he turned and started back to the TARDIS,

"All right back in the pool, you lot. Go on."

He started the TARDIS again, popping a few panels off the console as it whirred and whooshed. Ghoul raised an eyebrow at this, shaking his head,

"What're you doing?"

"Connecting this bazooka to the TARDIS. It'll generate a higher output and send those Cybermen soaring sky high."

His eyes lit up at that and leaned over a bit more, eying the wires like a kid in a candy store,

"Cool..."

"Oi," the Doctor snipped, pushing him back a bit, "Light! Thank you."

With a few more clicks, he grinned and stood, handing it over to Fun Ghoul,

"Here. Hold this."

He then rounded the console and pulled at the levers. The TARDIS responded with a whine, and they jolted sideways, feeling an increase in speed as they soared on through space.

Older Girl gasped, shaking her head as the Doctor made his way to the doors,

"What are you doing!?"

He through them open and peered out. Far below, he could see the army of Cybermen speeding down Route Guano toward the city line. Turning shortly, he motioned for Fun Ghoul,

"Give me the gun!"

The dark-haired man nodded, hurrying it over to him. The Doctor took it, hoisting it over his shoulder as he took aim. He growled,

"We're too far away! Can you steer us closer?"

Ghoul grinned, nodding shortly,

"I can try!"

Jogging back over to the console, he spat on his palms and rubbed them together, excitedly grabbing at her knobs,

"Okay, baby...let's see how you fly."

They soared closer to the approaching army, the Doctor taking aim as they cut them off,

"Keep her steady!"

Older Girl gasped as she grabbed onto the railing, her eyes wide,

"Are you sure this is gonna work!?"

The Doctor glanced over at her, shouting to her over the howling wind,

"Well, I certainly hope so or this could get very messy!"

"And what if it doesn't," the teen shrieked as he readjusted the gun on his shoulder.

He shrugged, a mildly distraught look on his face,

"Well, one of two things. The strain caused from the future timeline converging onto the old timeline could cause this universe to collapse on itself, wiping all of us from existence-"

"And the _other_ scenario," she cried, her eyes wide in horror.

He swallowed hard,

"It works!"

She stared at him blankly, making sure to get a better hold on the railing as he turned away from her.

Turning back to the desert scene below, he took a deep breath, staring down the Cybernetic army with half a smile,

" _Geronimo_..."

He squeezed the trigger...

~ø~

_**-California - June - 1945-** _

Beverly paused as she reached the top step, a flutter filling her chest. A tear slid down her cheek suddenly, and she wiped it away, frowning at it in confusion. It felt as though a heavy weight was being lifted from her shoulders. With a smile, she raised her head and ran full speed toward the doors. Throwing them open, she ran inside and rushed up another set of stairs. The train had just let out. Reaching the top, she glanced around. The sun poured in through the windows and skylights, making it a bit hard to see.

It took her a minute, but she finally spotted him. Her heart stopped.

He was slowly hobbling her way, putting most of his weight on the wooden cane at his side. Tears filled her eyes as she gazed at him. The sunlight built a halo around him, giving him the glow of an angel.

"Michael!"

He raised his head at the sound of her voice, a smile striking his lips as she started toward him. She gasped as he dropped his cane, breaking into a run to meet her in the middle...

~ø~

- _ **California - April**_ _-_ _ **1992-**_

"Look, Grandma Bev! It's your first great grand baby...!"

The blonde woman brought the tiny baby closer to her, letting her hold him in her arms. He was so small, no more that three months old at the most. Her husband smiled proudly down at the bundle, putting his arm around his wife,

"We're having trouble thinking of a name for him...we were hoping, maybe, you could help us with that?"

A tear slid down her cheek and she smiled, cradling the baby tightly as she began to softly laugh,

"Could it be...? Is that...is that you...Michael?"

The baby cooed at her, grabbing hold of her finger and holding on tight.

~ø~

- _ **California - September - 2019-**_

The younger Girl let out a gasp as she watched the electric wave pulse through the crowd of Cybermen. They toppled over, one by one, till none were left standing. The white car leading them came to a dead halt as well, it's driver now unconscious. She giggled, glancing up at the Doctor with a bright smile,

"You did it!"

"Yeah, you bet I did!"

He gave her a high five and shut the door, rushing back to the console,

"And we'll clean it up in a bit, but first, we have to crash!"

"Crash," the older Girl shrieked, shaking her head as her eyes widened,

"Crash, where!?"

The Doctor smirked, shooting her a wink.

~ _ **Elsewhere in the desert**_ ~

Yanking Party Poison up from the floor, Mr. Clever smirked, his eyes wide and crazed,

"There's no one to save you, now, _Party Poison,_ no Plan B. Face it...you should have let the cybermites convert you when you had the chance! You might've lived a little _longer_ , anyway..."

He reached up and pressed his hand to Poison's face,

"Well, then, no point in dragging this out. It's been fun _, really_ , it has. Do give my regards to Beverly."

A wave of electricity shot through the Doctor's hand and Poison let out a pained cry, feeling his brain begin to burn. Clara gasped at this, doing her best to break free of Kobra Kid's grasp,

"No! Party Poison!"

A sudden cracking boom sounded within the room and she gasped, her eyes wide as the TARDIS crashed through the walls of the console room. It smashed right into the control panel, causing it to spark and shut down.

The door to the TARDIS creaked open, then, and Older Girl stepped out, her eyes wide,

_"Where the hell are we?"_

"Party Poison!"

She straightened at the familiar shout, her eyes wide as she watched a young woman with dark hair cross the space between herself and the unconscious man with neon red hair lying a few feet away.

She shook her head, tears hitting her eyes as she gazed at them in shock,

_"Soufflé?"_

A smile hit her lips and she called out, striding forward,

_"Soufflé!"_

Clara did not seem to hear her, keeping her focus on the man instead,

"Come back...please, come back!"

She shook her head at this, snorting in confusion as she watched her younger self run over to him as well,

_"She can't hear me...?"_

_"No, she can't."_

She turned, eyes widening as she spotted the Doctor standing a few feet away. He was transparent,

_"They can't see or hear either of us, actually. Not anymore."_

The older Girl glanced down at her hands, startled to find that she could see right through them to the floor. Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head and turned to face him completely,

_"Wha-What's happening?"_

_"I destroyed the corrupted timeline. Fixed it so it never happened. The universe is returning to it's original state."_

_"And that means?"_

_"We disappear,"_ he sighed, _"Well, actually...I'll be merging back into the current time stream._ _ **You'll**_ _disappear."_

_"Oh, gee, thanks for the comfort."_

She gasped as she watched the Doctor's past self make a frantic dash for the TARDIS. He shut the door behind him, the TARDIS taking off.

Shaking her head, she turned back to Clara and her younger self, a smile striking her,

_"So...that's him, huh? That's Party Poison?"_

The Doctor nodded shortly,

_"Yeah, that's him."_

She took a few steps closer, gazing down at him fondly,

_"Soufflé's knight in shining armour..."_

He scowled at that, stepping up for a closer look himself,

 _"Oh, I-I wouldn't call him_ _**that** _ _..."_

Girl giggled at that, shaking her head as she gazed down at him. He looked...peaceful,

_"He's pretty hot. I wish I'd known him."_

The Doctor shrugged, glancing down at Poison himself,

_"Eh, he's not bad, I suppose."_

He then paused, glancing up at the teenager with a frown. He took a few looks between them, his eyes widening. It was odd how remarkably similar they looked.

The teenager straightened as a bright light began to fill the room, and she turned to the Doctor, a scared look in her eye,

_"Doctor?"_

_"The timelines are converging,"_ he sighed, shaking his head,

_"Don't worry. Your life will be better from now on, I promise."_

_"Because I'll have Party Poison?"_

His thoughts drifted back to the security footage. Yes, she would have him back, she would have them all back...if only for a few months. But a few months was better than a lifetime without them.

He nodded shortly, swallowing hard,

_"Yeah...because you'll have Party Poison."_

Smiling, she turned back to the scene, gazing down at him and Clara fondly,

_"Then, I'm okay with it."_

The Doctor sighed, bowing his head as the white light enveloped them, bathing them in warmth...

~ø~

_**-Present-** _

Clara sobbed as Cola pulled her along, continually glancing behind. Where were the Cybermen? Why hadn't they come over the hill, yet?

Girl gasped for air as they came to a stop, darting behind a rock formation,

"Do you think we lost them?"

Cola nodded to her shortly,

"Yeah, I think so."

Wiping her eyes, Clara fell to her knees, exhausted,

"I can't believe it...he's really gone...what are supposed to do, now?"

Girl and Cola frowned at each other, then back at Clara as she continued to cry.

"I thought the Doctor would fix all this...I thought everything was gonna be okay! But...Party Poison..."

"What about Party Poison?"

She gasped at the voice, spinning around to see the Doctor step around the rock formation. Pulling herself to her feet, she choked out a sob and ran to him, throwing her arms around him,

"Doctor!"

He found himself begin to smile as she squeezed him tight,

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Pulling back, she shook her head, more tears bubbling down her cheeks,

"It's Party Poison! The Cybermen were coming and he...I asked him not to, but he did anyway...!"

The Doctor straightened, grabbing the weeping woman by the arms as he shook his head,

"What? What did he do? Clara, what did Party Poison do?"

"He had me...build a bomb," she choked out, looking to him through her tears,

"And he...stayed behind...to make sure it would go off."

His face fell at her words,

"Oh, no...oh, Michael, no...no, no, n-"

He glanced back at Girl and Cola. Both of them seemed confused.

Pulling back, he raised an eyebrow at her,

"Are you sure?"

Clara paused, startled at his question, and shook her head,

"' _Am I sure_ '? Wha-yes, I'm _sure_! I saw the fireball myself! The Diner's gone! And so is Party Poison!"

"The Diner."

"Yes!"

" _The_ Diner?"

"Yes! _The_ Diner!"

The lanky man smacked his lips together, swivelling slightly as he pointed back toward the hill,

"You mean the Diner I just dropped you all off in front of?"

"Yes," she stated firmly, her fists clenched at her sides,

"Party Pois-"

His words sunk in. Eyes wide, she shoved him aside and charged back up the hill, her heart racing. As she made it to the top, she gasped. The Diner was still there. It was still standing.

Her heart surged with hope,

"Party Poison!?"

She called, running to the front. She stopped in the middle of the dusty lot, gazing at the door expectantly,

"Party Poison!?"

At first, there was nothing. No one came to the door and she could see no movement inside.

Taking a few steps forward, she halted as the door slowly creaked open, and he staggered out; his neon hair glowing like fire in the morning sun.

He gazed at her in shock, his eyes wide and sparkling,

"Clara?"

With a smile, she ran full speed toward him, jumping into his arms as he stepped forward. He spun her in a circle, the two of them laughing like mad. He squeezed her tight as she giggled, squeezing him back just as hard. Setting her back down, he smiled as he gazed at her, completely breathless,

"It worked..."

"Told you he'd fix it."

They hugged again and she laughed, burying her face in his shoulder. They held the embrace for a few moments, a cough from behind soon pulling them apart. They turned to see the Doctor standing there, an almost disapproving look on his face. Party Poison smirked at this, shrugging as the man strolled closer,

"What? You jealous, _Doc Brown_?"

The Doctor grinned as he stepped up to them,

"Not a chance, _Marty McFly._ "

Pulling the man in, the Doctor gave him a hard peck on the cheek and squeezed him tight,

"Don't ever do that again."

"Scout's honour."

The Doctor jumped as he felt a hard pinch on his rear and quickly pulled away from him. Party Poison grinned, waggling his fingers at the man,

"Sorry. Had to know."

The lanky man swallowed hard, glancing around as he leaned closer,

" _And_?"

"Ehhh," Poison shrugged, "Kinda bony. I like my guys with a bit more _meat_ on 'em."

The Doctor straightened at that, a hurt look on his face,

"Oi, I am not _bony_ -!"

"Hey, Clara?"

The trio turned to see Girl coming around the corner, a confused look on her face,

"Are we still playing tag or what?"

"Tag," Clara shook her head, turning to the Doctor curiously,

"We were playing _tag_?"

"I had to tell them _something_ ," he shrugged, shaking his head,

"When the timeline's converged, you were all running around like chickens with your heads cut off. Well, except you," he nodded to Poison, "You were passed out cold on the Diner floor. Probably because you blew yourself up. Well, that and your fever's spiking. Which reminds me..."

Rubbing his hands together, he motioned to Party Poison,

"Come here, _handsome_."

The red head snorted at this, and staggered forward, frowning as the Doctor grabbed onto either side of his neck,

"Whoa, gettin' kinda kinky there, ain't ya, Doc...?"

"Oh, _stop it_ , you."

He closed his eyes. Poison frowned as he began to feel a strange tingling in his neck and his eyes went wide as he glanced down. Something was glowing. A moment later, he smiled and retracted his hands, nodding shortly,

"Right. All better."

Poison frowned as he pulled his hands up to his neck, startled to find that his skin was smooth again. He shook his head, eying the Doctor in shock,

"What...what did you do?"  
"Oh, nothing special really," the Doctor smiled, placing his hands behind his back,

"I just took some of the time energy you've built up over the years and used it to get rid of that nasty bit of rash on your neck. Radiation poisoning? Awful business, am I right?"

"You _knew_ about the rash?"

"Pffft, don't insult me, _Party Poison_ ," the Doctor scoffed, whipping out the sonic screwdriver and flipping it in his hand,

"Of course, I knew! I knew the moment I scanned you when we first got here. Your vitals were _dreadful_."

The red head rolled his eyes at that, shaking his head as he raised his voice,

"Then, why didn't you do that in the first place?"

The Doctor paused a moment, opening his mouth and then closing it. He then nodded,

"You're right...that would have made things a lot easier."

There was an awkward silence between the three of them, the Doctor finally clearing his throat,

"Well, hindsight is 20/20, and it's all said and done, now! Everything's fine! Everyone's a-okay!"

He laughed, his laughter soon dying off as Poison glared him down.

"Hey, Poison," Girl toddled over to him, grabbing his hand with a sigh,

"I'm hungry."

"But you just ate," the red head snorted, shaking his head,

"You had pancakes, remember?"

"Yeah, but I puked 'em all back up on the sidewalk, _remember_?"

Sighing, he knelt down to see her at eye level and smiled,

"Well, go ask Cola to drive you down to Tommy's place. We ran out this morning."

" _Fine_..."

She turned and trudged back toward the Diner, rounding the corner toward the back,

"HEY, COLA!"

Snorting softly, he shook his head, and stood back up, folding his arms across his chest,

"Jeez. Kid's got pipes. Reminds me of how my _mom_ used to shout at me when I'd torment the fucking cat..."

The Doctor nodded, eying Poison with an awkward smile as he glanced away at the direction she'd gone in,

"Oh, you have no idea how _accurate_ that statement is..."

The flame-haired man frowned up at him, the Doctor quickly waving him off,

"Nevermind."

He then halted and eyed him again, raising an eyebrow,

"Say...how old is Cherri-Cola?"

"Cola," Poison shrugged, scratching the back of his head,

"I dunno...maybe 19? 20?"

The Doctor coughed at that, a disgusted look on his face as he began to count on his fingers,

"Well, you're an odd lot...I'll give you that."

"What?"

"Nothing, don't mind me" he turned away from the man, shrugging a little,

"Like I'm really one to _talk_..."

Party Poison scowled as he turned to Clara, a confused look on his face,

"Do you have any fucking clue what he's talking about?"  
"No idea," she shook her head.

Clearing his throat again, he nodded to the pair, rubbing his hands together excitedly,

"Right...listen, I've got something I want to show you."

Motioning to him and Clara, he started back for the TARDIS, Poison shaking his head in confusion,

"We going somewhere?"

"Yes, actually, we are!"

They stepped inside, Poison letting the door shut behind him as he strolled to the console,

"Ooh, is it Space Vegas?"

"No, it's not Space Vegas."

He leaned forward on the controls, face contorting in thought,

"Disneyland?"

"No," the Doctor smiled, stepping over to him and patting his cheek with his hand,

"Quit guessing."

As they soared through space, he frowned, feeling the TARDIS begin to jolt and jerk beneath his feet,

"Turbulence?

The Doctor swallowed hard, glancing at him briefly as he pressed her to go faster,

"More like _debris_..."

Poison frowned at that.

After another moment, the Doctor smiled, the TARDIS whooshing as she landed,

"Ah, here we are!"

Clara raised an eyebrow as she watched him circle the console and head to the door,

"And where is here, exactly?"

He nodded to the two as he opened it and stepped out, smiling brightly,

"Well, c'mon. Have a look."

~ø~

The pair inched out cautiously behind him, Poison raising an eyebrow as he stepped out onto a patch of neatly cut grass,

"This don't look like Disneyland, Doc."

"That's because it isn't."

The Doctor started forward through the park, Poison and Clara following close behind him.

Glancing around, the red head snorted, shaking his head with a laugh,

"This place..."

He met eyes with a few passersby, their military uniforms and circle skirts seeming all too familiar.

As they reached the sidewalk, the Doctor smiled, nodding to the small café across the road,

"Over there."

Stepping up beside him, the flame-haired man froze, his heart stopping as he spotted her in the window,

"Doc..."

"I made you a promise, _Party Poison_ " the Doctor said, glancing over at him with a smile,

"And I never break a promise."

He swallowed hard as he watched her through the window, tears hitting his eyes,

"But...how? I thought you said the angels would block the way-"

"Well, they are _, technically_. From 1946 and onward, it _would_ be increasingly difficult to take you back, but today," he looked to his watch,"Today's a different story."

They watched as her head rose from her books, a man approaching the table. She smiled as he leaned down to kiss her.

Clara straightened at this, glancing over at the red head in confusion,

"Who are they?"

"Bev," Poison whispered, wiping his hand over his mouth,"And Richard..."

"Who's Richard?"

They watched as the man sat down across from her, pulling a small box from his coat. He opened it and set it on the table facing her. The fiery-haired man swallowed hard,

"Her fiancé."

Her eyes widened at this, and she shook her head, looking to the man in surprise,

"I'm sorry, _what_?"

The Doctor shushed her.

They watched her for a few minutes more in silence. She shook her head at the man, an exasperated look on her face. His contorted in anger, turning bright red as he stood from the table. He then reached down and grabbed her books and papers, swiping them off the countertop and onto the floor. Slamming his hands down, he came within inches of her face; screaming at the top of his lungs. They could hear him from where they stood across the bustling city street,

_"YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE? A FUCKING WASTE OF A PRETTY FACE! YOU'RE LUCKY I TOLERATE A PRUDE LITTLE BOOKWORM LIKE YOU, BECAUSE WHO ELSE IS GONNA MARRY YOU!? I DON'T SEE A LINE! AND YOU KNOW WHY THAT IS!? BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO BE STUCK WITH A FRIGID LITTLE..."_

Clara straightened as his insults grew more colourful, her eyes wide,

"Oi, he's _lovely_ , isn't he?"

After berating her a few more minutes, the man finally pulled away and stormed to the front to order a coffee. Poison swallowed hard as he watched her sit there for a moment, her body shaking like a leaf. Finally, she crumpled into tears and covered her mouth, sobbing silently to herself.

He shook his head, struggling to resist every impulse he had to run to her side,

"Doc..."

"Go to her," the Doctor nodded, "She needs you."  
"B-But...she doesn't even know who I am," he stammered, looking to him with teary eyes as his voice began to crack,

"What would I _say_ to her?"

The lanky man smiled, turning to him with a shrug,

"Well...I'd start with _'Hello'_."

The Doctor than swallowed hard, cringing slightly as the man took a step forward,

"Just...don't tell her _who_ you are. She technically isn't supposed to meet you for another," he licked his finger and held it to the air, "Four years. Give or take."

Nodding shortly, Poison paused for a minute then stepped off the curb, waving down a car or two as he made his way across the street.

He met Richard at the doorway, making sure to forcefully ram his shoulder into the man's arm. It caused him to spill his coffee all over the front of his uniform, to which he let out a yell,

"Hey! Watch it, shithead."

He smirked at that, a mocking tone in his voice,

"Aw, I'm sorry, _**Dick**_. I didn't see you there..."

The man shook his head at that, muttering softly under his breath as he stormed off down the road,

"Jackass..."

He then turned and quickly hurried inside, heading down the aisle toward her table. Beverly was already on the floor, doing her best to pick up the papers and books, now sopping wet with spilled coffee, that Richard had thrown there. Getting down on his knees, he started gathering some up for her, offering a smile,

"Here, let me help you with that."

The woman shook her head, her voice broken and choppy as she collected them,

"No, it's fine, really. I've got it. You don't need to..."

She stopped as she spotted his hand, noting the turquoise rosary on his wrist. It looked identical to the one she received at confirmation. Lifting her head, she snorted as she met gazes with him, deep brown to sparkling hazel, and snorted softly, noting his unusual hair,

"The circus let you have a day off or something...?"

His face fell at that and she gasped, shaking her head,

"I-I'm sorry," she began, bowing her head as her eyes filled up again,

"That was rude. I'm sorry-"  
"Don't be."

He handed her the stack in his hand and smiled. She took them cautiously, eying him with suspicion,

"Thank you."

There was a slight pause between them and he coughed, clearing his throat,

"I, uh...let me buy you another cup of coffee-"

"No, no, please, it's fine," she shook her head as he stood, standing along with him,

"The coffee's awful here, anyway..."

Glancing back, he sighed as he patted at his jacket,

"Well, that's a relief. I don't got any cash on me."

The woman let out a cackle at that, shaking her head as she gazed at him,

"Then, why did you offer?"  
"It seemed polite," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets with a shrug.

She giggled at that, nodding as she tucked some hair behind her ear,

"Well, thank you. It was very kind."

She sat down at the booth, her hands still shaking as she set her books back up on the table. Coughing shortly, he nodded to the seat across from her,

"Mind if I...?"

"Oh, no," she smiled, "Go right ahead."

Taking a seat, he glanced out the window and across the street. He spotted the Doctor and Clara, both of them giving him an enthusiastic thumbs up. He smiled at that, then turned to her with a cough,

"So, uh...who was that guy? If you don't mind me asking. Seemed like a real _**dick**_."

Beverly grinned at that, wiping her eyes as she shook her head,

"That was Richard. He's um...he's my..."

She eyed the small box that still sat on the table, her jaw popping awkwardly,

"Well, he's _something._ "

"So, he _is_ a _**Dick**_."

Looking up at him, she breathed a laugh and nodded,

"Yes. Yes, I suppose he is."

Glancing down at the box, he cleared his throat,

"You gonna marry him?"

Beverly sighed at that, shaking her had as she leaned forward and pressed her fingers to her temples,

"Oh, I don't know...probably."

" _Why_ ," he snorted, leaning back as he folded his arms,

"He treats you like shit."

She shrugged, sheepishly looking him in the eye,

"But he's right...not a lot of people tolerate me. Just my brother," she giggled, shaking her head,

"And it'd be a little _hinky_ to keep it in the family, so he's off the table."

Poison laughed at that, scratching his head nervously,

"You, uh...you _don't_ say."

They silenced again. Sighing deeply, he leaned forward on the table and gazed at her fondly,

"But how do _you_ feel about _him_?"

"My brother," she straightened, her eyes wide at his question.

He snorted, shaking his head with a laugh,

"No, no, no! Your boyfriend, _Dick Clark_. Do you love him?"

She made a face, setting her head to the side as she let out a sigh,

"We've been dating since high school."

Poison stared at her blankly, an unamused look on his face,

"And I've been to the _boneyard_ with half the population of Batt City, but you don't see me sportin' rings on every digit."

She frowned as he smiled, a wistful look in his eyes,

"One of 'em had a _Prince Albert_. And let me tell you, on an android, that is like..."

Catching her bewildered gaze, he coughed, quickly shaking his head,

"You know what, never mind. You probably don't wanna hear about that."

He shook his head,

"The point is...you shouldn't just settle for somebody who _'tolerates'_ you just cause you've known 'em a long time. Marriage is _supposed_ to be for life, ain't it?"

"Erm, yeah...I-I guess-?"  
"Well," he shook his head, leaning forward on the table,

"Do you really want to be stuck with a _fuckface_ like him for the rest of your days?"

She smiled at his words, laughing softly to herself,

"I don't think I really have any other options."

"A'course you do! Don't be so down on yourself! Just keep your head up. I'm sure you'll find somebody better. Who knows? He could be sitting right in front of you, Beverly."

She smiled at that, frowning as she looked up at him,

"Wait...how do you know my name?"

He shot her a sly grin and reached across the table to take her hand,

"Well, it's my _wife's_ name."

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head and leaned back,

"I should've known."

He frowned as her eyes turned angry and straightened as she raised her voice,

"Do I look _stupid_ to you!? You see a girl crying and that's your in game-"

"N-no, that wasn't-"

"Oh, please," she shrieked, snorting in disgust as she began to gather up her books,

"I've heard all the lines before. _'Oh that's my wife's name'_! Well, ha, ha! I bet you think you're so _cute_ , don't you!?"

"Um, no," he coughed shortly, scrambling for something, anything to say to keep from leaving,

"It...it actually _was_ my wife's name."

Beverly froze at the sorrowful sound in his voice. She turned to him as he cleared his throat, watching sadly as he continued,

"She, uh...she died a few years back. I just," he nodded to her books and papers,

"I saw your name written on those papers and I thought..."

He smiled up at her then, tears in his eyes,

"Funny coincidence."

Setting her books down again, she found herself sitting, gazing at him silently as he snorted,

"I was...I was just a _kid_ when I lost her...barely remember it, now."

"Oh my God, I am such a bitch," she whispered, a hard lump developing in her throat.

"We were together about a year," he laughed, turning his eyes to the table,

"We, uh...we had a baby. A boy. Pete. But I...I lost 'em both."

She gasped at that, placing her hand on top of his,

"I'm so sorry...! I had no idea!"

Coughing, he waved her off and wiped his eyes; laughing softly,

"It's fine...! It was ages ago."

He sighed, shaking his head as he smiled,

"I just...I just wish I'd told her...at the end...that I-"

Squeezing his hand gently, Beverly smiled as he raised his gaze to her, nodding shortly,

"I'm sure she knew."

Swallowing hard, he squeezed back, and took a deep breath,

"I hope you're right."

~ø~

Clara smiled, hugging herself tightly as she watched them in the window,

"He really loves her...doesn't he?"

The Doctor glanced down, raising an eyebrow at the slightly broken look on her face.  
Clearing his throat, he put an arm around her and squeezed her tight,

"Yeah. He really does."

Sighing, she leaned into him, continuing to watch the scene play out through tear-filled eyes.

A rumble of thunder sounded overhead and they glanced up. The Doctor smiled,

"Tut, tut..."

~ø~

Beverly jumped at the sound of a ferocious boom, her eyes wide as the skies opened up and unleashed a torrent upon the city. A groan escaped her and she shook her head,

"Oh, great. Just great."

"Just great, what?"

Leaning back, she sighed and slumped in her seat,

"Richard was my ride home. And now it's raining!"

Poison smiled at that, biting his lip as he glanced to the street,

"Yeah...it _is_ raining, isn't it?"

Hopping up from the booth, he turned to her excitedly, offering her a hand,

"Come with me."

Beverly frowned at this, standing as she took it without a thought,

"And go where?"

He nodded to the window. She gasped, nearly shouting as he started for the door,

"Outside?"

He lead her to the front walk, frowning as she pulled away,

"I'm not going out in that!"

"Why not," he laughed, cautiously sticking his hand out from under the overhang.

A grin hit his lips as the water struck his hand. It didn't burn. The rain didn't burn,

"It's just water."

"And I'm in a _white_ blouse," she shouted, folding her arms across her chest.

He grinned, eying her up and down,

"What? Afraid to show off a little skin?"

Her jaw dropped in shock at his words. She looked on in stunned silence as he jumped right out in it.

He let out a laugh as he ran into the middle of the road, narrowly avoiding being struck by a car. It honked at him, and he shot them an obscene gesture, Beverly letting out a cackle,

"What the hell are you doing!?"

"C'mon," he splashed around a bit, his clothes now soaking wet,

"Come dance with me!"

"Dance with you," she shrieked, shaking her head as he dodged another car,

"In the middle of the _street_!?"

"Yeah, why not!?"

"You're _insane_ ," she shook her head, unable to keep from smiling.

"Aw, c'mon, Bev," he shot her a toothy grin, "You like 'em a little _crazy_ , don't you?"

He held out his hand.

Popping her jaw, she shook her head, tucking hair behind her ear. The red head, whose hair was now flat against his skin, nodded for her, keeping his hand outstretched,

"C'mon!"

She let out a groan and smiled. Rushing out into the rain, she met him in the median and took his hand with a manic cackle,

"Gracious! It's cold!"

"But it feels good, right," he leaned his head back, letting a few drops splash on his tongue as he opened his mouth wide.

"No," she shrieked, shaking her head as she began to shiver,

"It's cold and it's wet and I'm going back inside, now, thank you _very_ much-!"

"Awww," he grinned at her, shaking his head around and spraying tinted water everywhere,

"C'mon! Don't be a spoiled sport!"

Taking her hand as she turned away, he pulled her close to him, a truck's horn blaring loudly as it barely avoided clipping her. He flipped that one off as well, shouting after it angrily,

"Hey, hey! Fuck you, too, _buddy_!"

"We should probably get out of the road, if we want them to stop doing that-!"

"Nah," he grinned, twirling her in a circle,

"They can go around us!"

She gasped as he took her by the waist. Taking her other hand in his, he smiled, the woman frowning as he began to lead her about as though the street were a dance floor.

"So, what's your name," she giggled, listening to how odd the rain sounded thumping against his jacket.

" _Party Poison_."

She placed her free hand on his shoulder, her eyes sparkling as she gazed up at him,  
"Oh, _c'mon_... I _mean_ it! Who are you? Really?"

Cracking a toothy grin, he shrugged, shooting her a knowing wink,

"Ehhhh, that's not really important, is it?"

He spun her again and she giggled, letting him pull her closer this time. His heart skipped a beat as she laid her head against his chest and he closed his eyes. She was warm. Warm and real and in his arms.

Closing his eyes, he pressed his cheek against her hair, and breathed in deep. She smelled of sugar and roses, just the way he remembered.

Beverly frowned as he began to hum softly in her ear. It was a tune she had never heard before, sad but beautiful. It made her heart ache. After a moment or two, she began to pick out words. He was singing.

" _I'll be seeing you...in all the old familiar places..._ "

Tears hit her eyes at the sound of pain in his voice and she reached up, holding him a bit tighter as he continued,

" _In that small café...the park across the way..._ "

She smiled and closed her eyes.

Between the rain and his song, she felt, even if only for that moment, as though they were the only two people in the universe.

~ø~

Clara smiled as they watched the couple dance, the rain causing her hair to droop down in front of her eyes,

"That's so romantic," she shouted over the pouring rain.

"Uh huh," the Doctor frowned, glancing down to check his watch.

"She just met her future husband...and she doesn't even know it's him. Thinks she's dancing with some stranger in the street," she continued, a mindless smile on her lips, "Or maybe she does know. I mean, I know you told him not to say anything, but why else would she do that...? I mean, I know _I_ wouldn't just pop off with some bloke who turned up and said, _'Hey, come dance with me in the middle of traffic'_ -"  
"Says the girl who ran off with a _space man_ in a _flying box_ after only knowing him for how long...?"

She frowned, glancing at him briefly before looking back to the couple,

"Fair enough."

_DING._

Turning to him with an odd look, she eyed him up and down, shaking her head,

"What's that?"  
"Ah," donning his spectacles, he looked at the watch again and sighed,

"Time to go."

Stepping off the curb, he hurried his way to them, twirling out of the way of the cars that happened to speed by him.

With a cough, he tapped Beverly on the shoulder and she frowned, turning to him with a puzzled look. The Doctor smiled,

"Hello, Bev! Nice to see you, again! Or, well...nice to meet you, actually. We've _never_ met," he swallowed hard, pulling a small bottle from his coat,

"Don't know where you'd get a silly old idea like that..."

" _Doc_ ," Poison growled, scowling at the man, "What the hell are you doing?"

He smiled, uncorking the lid as he turned to her,

"Oh, nothing...just...well... _this_."

He dumped some in his hand and tossed it into the woman's face.

Beverly frowned briefly at him, her eyes soon rolling back as she slumped and collapsed into Party Poison's arms. The red head let out a shriek as she lost consciousness, turning to him with wide eyes,

" _Doc!?_ "

"Oh, relax," the Doctor groaned, rolling his eyes as he placed the bottle back in his coat,

"It's just a _sleeping_ powder."

Clara frowned as she followed them back across the street to the coffee shop, Poison carrying the limp woman in his arms,

"Why would you fucking hit her with it, then," he growled, setting her back down at her table.

Kneeling down, he brushed her bangs from her face, dabbing off some of the water with a napkin. The Doctor snorted, shaking his head,

"Well, she needs to be sleeping, of course."

"And why does she need to be sleeping," Clara interjected curiously.

"Well," the Doctor sighed, scanning her over with the sonic,

"How else is she supposed to forget this ever happened...?"  
Party Poison shot up from her side at that, his eyes dark and furious,

"What do you mean 'how's she supposed to forget'-!?"

"Have _you_ forgotten already," the Doctor replied, shaking his head as he shoved the screwdriver back in his coat,

"Beverly Spence doesn't meet Michael Milligram until April of 1944! At the USO! Now, I gave you a loop hole, but I never said it would be perfect-"

The red head snorted at that,

"Then, what was the point? Why bother bringing me here if she's never gonna remember it!?"

"The point," the Doctor sighed deeply, remembering back to the security footage from Battery City,

"Was to give you one more moment with the one person you love most in this world. A kindness that I've yet to see happen to me."

Poison blinked at him, swallowing hard,

"Hoping for a _Pay-It-Forward_ kinda deal?"

The lanky man shrugged at that,

"Eh, maybe..."

He sighed at that, turning his gaze back to Beverly as the Doctor continued,

"She'll forget, but not completely. No one ever really forgets, not _completely_. She'll wake up and think it was all a dream. A lovely little sort of dream, the kind you never want to wake from. A dance in the rain...with a total stranger..."

He glanced down at his watch again and heaved a sigh,

"And now, we _really_ have to go."

"Why," Clara frowned, shaking her head,

"What's going on?"  
"Well, that little sun shower was actually a temporal disturbance caused by," he cleared his throat, motioning to the red head,

"Well... _you_ actually."

"Me," he raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Today is June 22nd, 1940," the Doctor began, offering a smile, "The day the angels sent you back in time."

Glancing outside, he noticed the rain had stopped and cleared his throat,

"Which is why we need to go before you run into yourself..."

"What would happen if he ran into himself," Clara laughed, shaking her head.

The Doctor and Party Poison exchanged glances, Poison swallowing hard,

" _Time Cop?_ "

" _Time Cop_ ," the Doctor nodded as he started for the door.

Clara frowned, still shaking her head,

" _Time Cop_?"

"Oh, we'll have a movie night," he groaned in reply, "Right now, we need to _go_."

As they reached the door, he looked back to see that Party Poison was still kneeling at the table,

"Party Poison," he called, a hissing quality in his voice.

"I know, I know," the red head waved, keeping his eyes on her sleeping face,

"Just gimme a minute."

With a sad smile, he traced his fingers along her cheek; letting out a deep sigh. Tears filled his eyes and he snorted, quickly wiping his eyes,

"C'mon, _Milligram_...don't be such baby..."

Leaning over her, he softly kissed her on the temple, his voice a hushed whisper,

"I love you...Beverly Ann Spence. And for that year we were together...you made me the happiest mother fucker in the whole goddamn world."

Squeezing his eyes shut, he pressed his head to hers, and took a deep breath,

"Goodbye," he smiled then, pulling back and wiping his eyes,

"Though, I guess for you...this is _'Hello'_."

He laughed as a smile crept across her lips. Briefly, he wondered if she'd heard him.

He hoped she had.

Bowing his head, he stood and turned from the booth, heading out the door passed the Doctor and Clara,

"Let's go. I'm done here."

The Doctor nodded solemnly, following him out in silence. Clara hung back a moment, glancing at Beverly again. Biting her lip, she hurried back to her and grabbed a napkin from a nearby table...

~ø~

The Doctor shook his head as they sat around the TARDIS, setting the coordinates for 2019,

"I'm sorry, Party Poison," he heaved a heavy sighed, "I know you wanted-"

"Stop," Poison cut him off, shaking his head,

"Just stop."

They all remained silent.

"So," Clara coughed, shaking her head, "Beverly found you at that dance, then? Things still went okay?"

He smiled, nodding shortly as he pulled the journal out from his jacket,

"Oh, yeah. Have a read-"

"Oh, I really wouldn't," the Doctor swallowed hard as she took the book in hand, thumbing through the pages,

"If I were you."

She straightened as she reached the April 25th entry, a smile on her lips,

" _'April 25th, 1944. I was officially promoted to Sergeant.'_ Ooh, you never said you were a _sergeant_. Sounds sophisticated."

"It's really not," he grinned, leaning forward on his knees.

She giggled, shooting him a flirtacious smile,

"Sure it is. Big strong soldier man..."

Turning back to the book, she skipped down the page a bit, her eyes widening,

"O-oh! Wow. Boy, she was really happy to see you, wasn't she?"

He laughed as a blush spread across Clara's cheeks, and she cleared her throat, handing it back to him awkwardly,

" _Really_ happy."

Smiling, he opened it back up to that page and sighed,

"Yeah...that was a good night."

He then frowned, shaking his head,

"Wait a minute..."

"What," Clara raised an eyebrow, shaking her head,

"What's wrong?"

Pulling his mask out from his scarf, he raised an eyebrow,

"I was holding this when she came up to me...and she said..."

_'"Something from your circus days?"'_

He leaned back, shaking his head,

"But she...she couldn't have..."

Flipping through the pages, he reached the last of the entries and found a yellowed envelope.

Inside were pictures, taken at various events throughout history. A few shots from inside a factory in late 1944. She stood, covered in oil and grease, with a few other women; their hair tied up in handkerchiefs.

It was titled 'Me and the Girls.'

Other photos featured her at the front of a classroom, and some standing by airplanes. There were pictures of her with Pete at the local park. Some of them only featured the boy, stepping up to the plate in a little league uniform.

Shuffling through a few more of them, his eyes widened and he stood up, shaking his head,

"No way..."

Clara frowned, squinting as she gazed down at the photo,

"Is that...?"

The Doctor stepped over to them, glancing over their shoulders,

"Martin Luther King Jr."

"When is that from," Clara smiled.

He turned the photo over, eyebrows raising,

"August 28, 1963."

The Doctor let out a whistle,

"The _'I Have A Dream'_ speech...oooh, I envy that girl."

Clara smiled at that and raised an eyebrow,

"Really?"

" _Oh_ yes," he scowled, shaking his head,

"Standing there amongst millions of people, all fighting for the same goal, united in the struggle for equality! Witnessing the true power of one man's words. Oh, that must have been brilliant!"

"Well, can't we just go back and see it?"

He turned to her, pausing briefly before looking her straight in the eye,

"We'll pencil it in after Vegas."

She smiled at that, nodding shortly,

"Wouldn't miss it."

Poison flipped to the next picture and they all let out a gasp, the red head whistling as he grinned,

"Oh, ho! Baby! I'm keeping this one out for later!"

Clara looked away, beginning to blush her face as she turned to the Doctor,

"What's that one _for_?"  
"Judging by the sign she's holding," he coughed, clearing his throat as he glanced down at it again,

"The Women's Liberation Movement..."

"Yeah, she's _liberated_ all right," Poison grinned, whistling again,

"'Atta girl...!"

Clara promptly smacked him at that, the man letting out a yelp as he tucked the photo into his coat,

"What!? She's my wife!"

"The whole point of the movement was equal rights for women and you're reducin' her actions to a _whistle_ and a _woot_ ," she snorted, shaking her head, "Wife or not, that's just plain _rude_."

"Sorry, geez!"  
"You _should_ be."

He flipped to the next photo and shook his head,

"Holy shit...is that Mad Gear?"

The Doctor leaned forward to look at the picture,

"No, no. That's David Bowie."

"Whoa, so," he straightened, raising an inquisitive brow,

"My wife was a _groupie_ for the Goblin King?"

He giggled, growing downright giddy,

" _Wicked_...!"

Finally reaching the bottom of the stack, he frowned as he pulled up an old napkin.

The words on it were blurred and blotted, looking as though something had dripped on them, but he could still read them. There was also a note. Unfolding it, he smiled and began to read,

"' _Dearest Michael. I ran out of space in our journal, so I hope you don't mind me leaving you this envelope. Petey and I were going through some old boxes when I found these. I hope you like them. In fact, I know one in particular that you'll_ _ **really**_ _enjoy. That's why I left it,'"_ he snickered as he turned to Clara, shooting her a wink,

"Do I know her or _what_?"

Clara rolled her eyes at that. Clearing his throat, he continued reading,

"' _They're placing me in a home tomorrow. Petey can't take care of me anymore, and John and Mary have little Michael to take care of, it would be too rude to ask that of them. This is the last night I will spend in the house we bought together...the place we called home for that one truly spectacular year. I remember the times that we spent under this roof. I haven't forgotten a single moment. The love that passed between you and I still lives and breathes within these walls to this day. There was no one else for me in this whole world who could have made me feel the way you did. No doubt, they tried...but no one could possibly live up to my beautiful, time travelling soldier from the desert.'"_

He paused a minute, laughing softly as he wiped his eyes of tears,

"' _A few nights ago, I had a dream about the first time we met...no, not at the USO. That day at the café...when you told me about your wife and we danced in the rain. You were talking about me, weren't you?'"_

Eyes wide, he looked up at the Doctor and shook his head,

"I thought you said she wouldn't remember that?"

The Doctor shook his head, an equally as shocked look on his face,

"She wasn't supposed to."

Clara coughed shortly, nodding back to the letter,

"What's it say? The rest of it? Keep goin'..."

Nodding, he picked up where he'd left off, clearing his throat,

"' _I had never met anyone like you before. Someone who actually seemed to give a damn about my feelings and my hopes and dreams. A decent human being. Needless to say, I was shocked when you ran out into the street. But that dance...oh, how I could have lived in that moment forever. But forever is fleeting, and so were we. Michael, I just want you to know that you brought out the very best in me. If it were not for your love, I would never have known true happiness, nor would I have found the courage to live my life in the way you see in these photographs. You taught me to stand up for what I believe in, to fight for what I want. To take a stand against the wrongs in this world and to never back down, even when the odds are stacked against you. I can never thank you enough for opening my eyes to all the wonders this world has to offer. And in case you were still wondering..."_

A tear hit his cheek as he smiled, his lip beginning to quiver,

" _Yes, I knew. And I still love you, too. I always will. Forever yours, Beverly Ann Milligram.'"_

Coughing shortly, he shook his head and wiped his eyes, turning his gaze to the napkin

" _'Meet me at the USO. With love, your future husband.'?_ "

The Doctor shook his head, breathing an aggravated sigh,

" _Party Poison-_ "

Poison turned to them and shook his head,

"I didn't write that."

The Doctor frowned as he took the napkin in hand, looking it over for himself as Poison continued,

"That's not my handwriting..."

"No," the Doctor narrowed his eyes, turning to the woman standing behind him,

"It _isn't_."

Clara swallowed hard as they both stared at her, coughing shortly as she smiled at the red head,

"I-I just...wanted to make sure you got your dance. Or well...you know..."

He blinked silently at her. To this, she blushed and let out a laugh,

"Your ' _Woo Hoo_ ' in the back of that jeep!"

"You did that for me," he whispered, his eyes narrowed.

She bit her lip, shrugging as he turned to face her,

"Well, yeah...! Why wouldn't I? We're friends, aren't we?"

Blinking back tears, Party Poison stepped forward; throwing his arms around her. He squeezed her tight and she gasped, feeling him begin to shudder.

"Thank you," he whispered softly.

Squeezing him back, she smiled and closed her eyes, unaware of the dark stare she was receiving from the Doctor.

~ø~

 _ **-California - September - 2019**_ -

They walked across the desert plain, dried grass crunching beneath their feet. Slowly but surely, they came upon a painted mailbox in the middle of nowhere. Kneeling down, Fun Ghoul lit the candles at it's base, stepping aside as Party Poison came forward. Kobra Kid sighed, squeezing the red head's shoulder in silence. Clara frowned, glancing over at Jet Star as Poison stepped up to the box,

"What's he doing?"

Jet Star hastily shushed her, shortly shaking his head. The Doctor smiled as he stepped up beside her, his voice a low whisper,

"Oh, this must be for the Phoenix Witch..."

"Phoenix Witch," she shook her head, frowning in confusion,

"What's a _Phoenix Witch_?"

Licking his lips, the Doctor leaned closer to her, an excited look in his eye,

"The Phoenix Witch, sort of an urban legend in 2019," he began, glancing over at her briefly,

"You place the trinket of a loved one in the box and she supposedly takes it and leads their soul home. Kind of like a ferryman for the dead..."

"Creepy..."

Poison sighed as he gazed down at the aged journal in his hands. Cherri-Cola stepped up beside him, nodding to the book,

"You sure about this?"

"'Anything close to the soul will help _her_ guide it home'," the red head said softly, glancing over at him,

"That's what you said, right?"

The younger man nodded shortly. With a deep breath, he opened the slot and slid the journal inside. It shut with a loud squeak, and he exhaled. Turning to them, he forced a smile, the sunlight catching fire to his hazel eyes,

"Well, let's hope she's workin' tonight."

The Doctor shook his head, smiling to him as the others blew out the candles,

"I thought you weren't the _believing_ type..."

Poison grinned at that, scratching his head with a smirk,

"Yeah, well...I sorta had an experience that changed my perspective a little."

"Oh...?"

He nodded, shrugging as he shook his head,

"When I blew myself up...you know in the other time...this lady showed up in the Diner with me."

"A lady," Clara frowned, folding her arms across her chest.

Thinking a moment, he laughed,

"Yeah. Some... _boho fashionista_ with her hair so teased you woulda thought she was _David Lee Roth_."

He slowly glanced over at Clara, who narrowed her eyes as she smirked,

" _Van Halen_?"

Shooting her a toothy grin, they gave each other a high five; the red head waving a finger pistol at her,

"You're on fire, _Soufflé Girl_...!"

"Ooh, I hope not," she cringed, "I think that would hurt a bit."

Giving her a playful shove, he shook his head and called to the others,

"Okay, ladies...! Let's pack it up and go home."

The Doctor glanced back at Clara as he stepped away from them, noting the goofy smile on her face,

"What's _that_ about?"

"What's _what_ about?"

"The smiling," he scowled, folding his arms, "The _flirting_. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were beginning to think you fancy him."

The woman straightened at that, looking him square in the eye as she smirked,

"Why? Does it make you jealous?"

Quickly, he coughed, shaking his head fast as he looked away from her,

"Me? _Jealous_? Pfft, _please_. I've got better things to worry about then you riding off into the sunset with a _hobo_ in the desert..."

She stared at him, still smirking as he fidgeted nervously,

"You're _not_ are you?"

Scrunching her nose, she reached up and patted him on the cheek. She then stepped around him, starting after the others. He opened his mouth to reply and turned slightly, doing a double take as the mail box came into view. His eyes widened.

Clara frowned as she didn't hear the Doctor following her, turning back with a smile,

"Doctor? Something wrong?"

He swallowed hard as he gazed at it, the graffiti splashed across it's panels. He could just make out the words. Stepping up beside him, she took his arm gently,

"Doctor?"

"Those words..."

Clara turned to the mailbox, shaking her head in confusion,

"Bad Wolf?"

The Doctor swallowed hard and covered his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut as the young woman from the beach appeared in his mind. He could see her plain as day. He could hear her voice.

_**'"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words. I scatter them...in time and space..."'** _

"Doctor," the petite woman frowned, taking his hand in hers. He was as white as a sheet,

"You all right?"

_**'"I can see everything. All there is...all there was...all there ever could be..."'** _

He narrowed his eyes.

_'"Some boho fashionista with her hair so teased you woulda thought she was David Lee Roth."'_

"It can't be..."

He turned and ran after the group, his eyes wide as he reached Party Poison,

"This woman you saw! Did she give you a name?"

Poison spun around, shaking his head with a snort,

"No...though, I didn't really ask. I just wanted her to leave! Ge the fuck out before she got caught in the blast...?"

"Well, then, did she say anything," he grabbed him by the shoulders shaking him slightly,

"Anything at all!? Anything that stood out!?"  
The red head frowned, raising an eyebrow at the manic look on the Doctor's face,

"N-no! Not really!"

With a growl, the Doctor pulled away from him, grabbing fistfuls of hair as he turned away.

"She, uh...she did say that," he cleared his throat, shoving his hands in is pockets,

"No one deserved to be alone...when the end came reeling."

Heaving a sigh, the Doctor shook his head, and sighed deeply. The wind howled softly as it blew over the plain, Poison shaking his head,

"You okay, Doc?"

Pulling his hands down, he sighed in aggravation,

"Yes...yes, I'm fine," his gaze lowered to the dirt, "I am...I'm fine."

Clara stepped up behind him, straightening as he marched on passed them,

"Never mind...just forget it."

Poison frowned as Clara stepped up beside him, shaking his head as he glanced down at her,

"He okay?"

She bit her lip, gazing after him,

"I dunno..."

They exchanged worried glances, quickly following after suit...

~ø~

Arriving back at the Diner a few minutes later, Poison smiled as he eyed a white van pulling in, towing a rather banged up Trans Am behind it. He let out a laugh as it came to a stop, throwing himself on the hood of the car. Girl giggled at this, smiling as she stepped up beside him,

"You're such a loser."

"Shut up."

A soft whirring sounded as Dr. Death Defying wheeled himself out from around the van,

"Found her lying in a ditch. Figured her _Momma_ would be getting worried about her so we brought her home."

Rolling himself over to the Doctor, he tipped an imaginary hat to the man and smiled,

" _Doctor_."

" _Doctor_ ," the Doctor replied, tipping his 'hat' as well.

"So, you fixed everything."

The Doctor straightened, his eyes wide at the man's words,

"Well...yes. How did you-"

"A magician never reveals his secrets, Doctor."

Clara stepped up beside him, then, and Dr. Death Defying let out a soft gasp.

He lowered his sunglasses slightly, revealing a pair of glittering, hazel eyes. Clara smiled as she turned to the Doctor, folding her arms over her chest,

"So, what now? We gonna head to Space Vegas or what?"

"Oh," the lanky man smirked, turning to her with a grin,

"Do we _want_ to go there, now?"

She frowned, shaking her head,

"Well, it doesn't matter to me! _Any_ Vegas will do! I just wanna get my hands on the slots."

She then glanced down, offer Dr. D a smile,

"Oh, hello! I'm sorry, were you two busy talking?"

"Not at all," D smirked, taking her hand and kissing it gently.

Making a face, she pulled her hand back and smiled,

"Okay, then."

Stepping around them, she walked over to the car and began chatting with Party Poison.

D nodded, shaking his head as he smiled,

"She's exactly the same..."

The Doctor frowned at this, confused,

"I'm sorry... _who's_ exactly the same?"

"You don't know who she is?"  
The Doctor straightened as the man's words, his eyes wide,

"Do _you_?"

"Every Killjoy around knows who she is, Doctor," D replied, a smirk on his face.

"Enlighten me."

Glancing back at the woman again, he took note of the flirty way she and Poison had begun to interact, and bowed his head,

"A long time ago... back during the Analog Wars...a group of rebels rose up to fight BLIndustries and take back Batt City. They were lead by a fierce soldier... _the Operator_.

The Doctor frowned,

"And what happened to this _Operator_ of yours?"

"One day, she was captured," he sighed, taking off his shades to wipe them clean,

"Taken to their headquarters. No one ever heard from her again...but her soul lives on out here in the Zones..."

He looked over at Girl as he heard her laugh,

"In that little girl."

The Doctor glanced over as Girl bounded over to Clara, raising an eyebrow curiously.

There was a striking similarity between them; reminiscent of what he saw in Girl and Party Poison.

Quickly, he coughed and shook his head,

"You must be mistaken...she's not your _Operator_. Her name is Clara. Clara Oswald."

Dr. D nodded at this, sighing deeply as he the Doctor started for the TARDIS,

"Well...maybe you're right. Her name _wasn't_ Clara..."

As he reached the door, he halted, D's voice ringing loud and clear in his ears,

"It was _OsWin_."

Slowly he turned, his eyes wide as he gaped at D,

"Oswin _Oswald..._?"

Dr. Death Defying grinned at the look of shock on the man's face,

"The Operator."

The Doctor stood frozen in place; his hearts racing. It wasn't possible. It simply wasn't possible.

"Doctor!"

Clara hopped back over to him, Party Poison trailing at her heels,

"Ready to go?"

Quickly, he shook his head and clapped his hands together,

"Ahh, yes! Absolutely!"

They started back for the TARDIS, Clara turning back to Party Poison as they reached the doors,

"So...you still have errands to run?"

He grinned, shaking his head with a snort,

"Nah...actually my schedule," he shrugged, nodding to the Doctor, "Just got a surprise opening."

The Doctor swallowed hard at that. The woman giggled, nodding to the TARDIS,

"You should come with us, then! Space Vegas! I bet there's plenty of alien boys and showgirls you could take a _gamble_ on."

"Tempting, _truly_ ," he snickered, placing a hand on his heart, "But I'm gonna have to say no."

Her face turned to a pout and she sighed, holding out a hand,

"Well, all right, then."

They shook hands, Clara grinning from ear to ear,

"It was nice to meet you, Party Poison."

Smirking, he pulled her hand close and gently kissed it,

"Nice to meet you too... _Soufflé Girl._ "

With a giggle and a blush, she pulled her hand away and headed inside,

"Okay, then."

The door creaked shut as it closed behind her. Coughing shortly, the Doctor sighed, and ran a hand through his hair,

"Well, I suppose this is it."

"Yeah," Poison coughed, shoving his hands in his pockets,

"I guess so."

The Doctor smiled,

"It's been my privilege, _Party Poison_."

The red head smirked, shaking his head with a smirk,

"Okay, seriously. What is with you?"

"What's with me," the man snorted, "There's nothing 'with me'-"

"You keep callin' me _'Party Poison'_!"

"Well, I thought that was your _name_!"

Poison frowned at that, the Doctor coughing shortly,

"The good _doctor_ over there told me. About your family...about why you took that name. He said...it's a sort of promise you keep. And I understand that, I understand that very well. And I'm sorry...I truly am."

The red head bit his lip, scratching his head as he smiled,

"I, uh...I dunno what to say, Doc. I'm _touched_."

They were both silent for a moment, the wind rustling through the dried joshua trees nearby.

Finally, he shook his head and let out a groan,

"Just call me _Michael,_ though, seriously. Party Poison sounds _stupid_ coming out of your mouth..."

The Doctor laughed at that, exuberantly kissing the man on the head,

"Oh, _thank you_!"

The door creaked open behind him and Clara poked her head out, a frown on her face,

"Can _I_ call you Michael, as well?"

"Do it and you die," Poison retorted shortly, shooting her a scowl.

Cringing, she nodded and turned back inside,

" _Okay_."

Poison held out a hand,

"Well, I'll see you around, _Doc Brown._ "

The Doctor swallowed hard, blinking hard as the image of Party Poison sliding lifelessly down the wall came to his mind. Upon opening his eyes, he felt tears coming and coughed hard, shaking hands with the red head as a sad smile hit his lips,

"Goodbye... _Marty McFly._ "

Poison frowned at the sudden change in his tone, his eyes wide as the man turned and quickly disappeared into the TARDIS. He called after him as the box began to dissipate, barely audible over the loud 'whooshing',

"Doc!? Doc!"

It finally vanished in a cloud of dust, leaving the bewildered man standing alone. An ominous feeling washed over him and he swallowed hard, clenching his fists as he bit his lip.

Girl toddled over to him, taking his hand with a smile,

"Something wrong, P?"

Glancing down at her, he shook his head and coughed, forcing a smile,

"Nah, not a thing, sweet pea."

They turned and headed back for the Diner, Poison glancing back one last time at the empty spot where the TARDIS had just been sitting.

~ø~

Clara smiled to herself as she rounded the console, folding her arms across her chest as she approached the Doctor,

"So...do you think we'll ever see them again?"

"See who?"

"The boys? The Killjoys," she snorted, confused by his dark tone, "And Party Poison."

He glanced up at her briefly, his eyes glittering sadly,

"No. No, I don't."  
He walked away from her, the woman frowning at him,

"Why not?"

"Please, don't ask me that..."

Her heart fluttered. It sounded as though he were going to cry. She opened her mouth to speak, soon becoming distracted as the monitor came to life,

"Doct-"

Her eyes widened as she watched it. The four of them stormed into the building, guns blazing. They killed so many people. It switched cameras, and she watched in silence as Party Poison wrapped his arms around Girl. Had she been captured?

They began to leave, a group of Dracs coming into the frame and firing on them as they reached the lobby. They returned fire. Her eyes welled with tears as she watched Party Poison cut through the crowds of Dracs, gasping as Korse finally managed to grab him,

"Party Poison...!?"

The Doctor straightened at the sound of her quieted cry, quickly hurrying over,

"Clara, don't look! You aren't meant to see that!"

She screamed as the shot burned through his head, covering her mouth as she watched him fall dead to the ground.

Gaping at the screen in shock, she swallowed hard as, one-by-one, the others fell around him. Girl managed to escape with Jet Star, but the fourth camera showed that even he was stopped upon reaching the outside. The child, however, managed to get away in a van waiting just outside for them. She recognised it as Cola's van.

Turning her eyes back to the first camera, she watched with tearful eyes as Poison was placed into a white, BLI body bag and wheeled off on a stretcher. With a sigh, the Doctor swallowed hard and cut off the monitor, his head bowed,

"You weren't supposed to see that..."

"S-So, he's dead, then," she stammered, a hard lump welling in her throat,

"Party Poison's dead."

He nodded silently. Shaking her head, she turned to him, her eyes glittering with tears,

"Change it."

"I can't," he whispered, his hearts breaking at the look on her face, "You know I can't."

" _Why_?"

He turned the monitor back on, flipping it to an article from 2031,

"Because..."

She glanced up at it, eying the group of teenagers in the photo. At the front stood a young girl, with short curly hair. A black cat was perched on her shoulder.

" **'Battery City Free of BLI's White Cries Thanks To Missile Kid.'** "

"Their deaths," the Doctor began, his lip quivering as he spoke,

"Paved the way for her to save them all."

Bowing her head, Clara covered her mouth and let out a sob. She grabbed the console to steady herself as her legs grew weak, and she shook her head, turning to him in tears,

"But _why_!? Why did it have to be _him_!? Why did it have to be _any_ of them!?"

Taking the broken woman into his arms, he squeezed her tight as she cried, squeezing his eyes shut,

"I don't know, Clara...I wish I did, but I don't..."

She paused between sobs, pulling away from him slowly,

"You knew...didn't you?"

He straightened, shaking his head,

"Knew? Knew what?"

"This whole time," she shook her head, her words becoming sharp like a knife,

"That he was goin' to die! You knew it and you saved him and played like everything was fine!"

"Clara," he began, swallowing hard as her face contorting in rage,

"I had no choice-"

"Yes, you did," she screamed, clenching her fists at her sides,

"You always have a choice! And you chose to string him on like he was gonna be fine! Like he was gonna be okay! And for what? So, he could _die_ two months later!?"

"Clara-"

"That's cruel," she hissed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she backed away from him,

"Cruel and disgusting and...and..."

Turning away from him, she let out a harsh sob and covered her face. The Doctor bit his lip, slowly stepping toward her as the minutes ticked by,

"Clara-"

"Take me home."

She turned to him, her eyes puffy and red,

"Take me home. We're not goin' to Vegas."

Nodding shortly, the Doctor slowly did as she asked, arriving outside of her flat a few moments later. The Doctor straightened as she started for the door, swallowing hard,

"Next Wednesday, then?"

She stopped, shaking her head. She did not turn to face him.

"All right...the Wednesday after...?"

"I'll let you know," she breathed, turning to him with a bitter look in her eye.

She made her leave, the door slamming shut behind her.

Sighing deeply, he set the TARDIS to leave, watching her in the monitor as she stormed back to the complex.

~ø~

Reaching her door, Clara wiped her eyes as she took out her key, quietly heading inside. Walking over to the phone, she checked it for messages, biting at her thumb as one began to play,

_**"Yes, Miss Oswald. This is Headmaster Coburn from Coal Hill School. I received your inquiry about our opening and I'd like you to come in for interview, if you'd call me back at..."** _

Staggering to the wall, she leaned against it and let out a sob, sinking to the floor. Her gaze fell on the blood stained bandana still wrapped around her palm and she bit her lip,

_'"A school teacher. Kindergarten. She was really good with 'em, too..."'_

Wiping her eyes, she stood and picked up the phone, dialling the number quickly. It rang a few times, someone finally picking up after a moment,

_**"Coal Hill School. Headmaster Coburn's office..."** _

Clearing her throat, she forced a smile,

"Erm...yes, this is Clara Oswald. I'm returning Mr. Coburn's call about a teaching position?"

_**"Ah yes, Miss Oswald. He told me you might call. Would you like me to set up an interview for you?"** _

"Yes," she nodded exuberantly, wiping her eyes a bit more,

"Yes, that would be lovely."

_**"All right. I'll set you up for 2pm next Wednesday afternoon...?"** _

She hesitated a moment. Biting her lip, she glanced down at the handkerchief and nodded,

"Yes. Wednesday sounds excellent."

~ø~

The Doctor sighed deeply as he stood at the console, his head bowed shamefully. Glancing up at the monitor again, he flipped back to the article clipping, reading it over again,

"Is she right...? Was I just being cruel...?"

He straightened then as he looked at the group of teens, eyes wide as he spotted a young man to her left.

The boy looked familiar.

_'"You know...I don't know why you ever looked for her in the first place. What did you have her do? Stand around and look pretty for you all day?"'_

He shook his head, reading the name below,

"Val Velocity...? The Ultra V's...?"

_'"Why...why do I remember statues...?"'_

Hearts pounding, the Doctor circled the console, flipping switches as he went,

"It's not possible...!"

~ø~

_**-California - August - 2031-** _

He arrived in the city as the crowds were cheering. The ground was littered with masks. He searched for a few minutes, scanning the faces for him. Finally, he saw him. Red hair. White jacket. Bounding up behind him, the Doctor let out a gasp as he grabbed him by the arm and spun him around,

"Michael!?"

A startled teenager gazed back at him, cerulean eyes wide in confusion,  
"I'm sorry?"

The Doctor's face fell at this, his stomach dropping,

"Val Velocity."

"How," the boy shook his head, "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

He swallowed hard, hesitating for a moment. Finally, he shook his head,

"No one...I'm no one, never mind..."

Turning away slowly, he headed back for the TARDIS.

The boy frowned at that, turning to leave. He then stopped, his eyebrow raising in confusion,

" _Doc_...?"

Spinning around fast, the boy searched the crowd for a moment, but the man had already disappeared.

His eyes widened at the sound of 'whooshing' and quickly he followed it, catching one final glimpse of the blue box as it disappeared. He shook his head, gazing at the empty spot in shock,

"How...how do I know you?"

A few feet away, unbeknownst to him, a woman with scraggly, blonde hair stood, smiling...

~ø~

Stepping over to the mailbox, Girl slid the pair of masks inside, his yellow one on top. With a deep sigh, she turned and started to leave, pausing as she heard a voice behind her,

"Excuse me?"

Spinning around, she froze, her heart stopping fast. There stood a man dressed in white, his lengthy, black hair battering in the wind. He squinted in the sun, looking to her with confused, hazel eyes,

"I'm lost. Can you help me?"

Her eyes filled up with tears at the sight of him and she gasped.

He hadn't aged a day...

~ø~

- _ **The Time Vortex**_ _-_

He sighed as he gazed at the young man in the image a bit longer, finally clicking off of it with a sigh,

"I was so hoping it'd be you, Michael..."

Shaking his head, he sighed and glanced around. The TARDIS seemed so empty.

_**RING.** _

He straightened as the phone on the console began to ring and quickly scrambled for it, eyes wide,

"H-Hello?"

~ø~

 _-_ _**London - May - 2013 -** _

The Doctor straightened as he stepped out onto the grass, shocked to see Clara standing there waiting for him. She clicked her phone off as he approached, folding her arms across her chest.

He swallowed hard,

"H-Hello..."

"Hello," she replied, her tone devoid of emotion.

Rubbing his hands together, he offered an awkward smile,

"So...how long's it been?"

"Almost a month," she began, tucking some hair behind her ear as the wind blew it in her face,

"Give or take."

He nodded sheepishly. With a deep breath, she shook her head, narrowing her eyes,

"I'm still angry."

"I gathered," he motioned to the way she was standing.

Glancing away, she sighed, biting her lip. The Doctor cleared his throat,

"I am very sorry about Michael. I know you too were getting close-"

She shrugged, shaking her head,

"Well, now we'll never know, will we?"

He bowed his head. Clearing her throat, she looked to him again, her eyes sparkling in the sun,

"If we're gonna do this, I have some terms-"  
"Oh, yes," he straightened, nodding exuberantly, "Yes, absolutely! Terms! I _love_ terms!"

He then made a face,

"Well, I take that back. That's a lie. I'm really not a big fan of terms-"

"That's number one," she nodded, "No more lies."

He coughed, scratching his head with a smile,

"That's a tall order."

"Number two," she continued, looking him up and down,

"No more secrets."

"I take it back, that one's steeper."

"And number three," she stepped right up to him, narrowing her eyes as she gazed into his,

"No more leaving people behind. No more leavin' 'em to die."

The Doctor shook his head at that, forcing a smile as he looked down at her,

"Clara. You know I can't promise you that."

"Why...?"

Silence grew between them, leaving only the sound of rustling in the trees.

"Because," he began, shaking his head, "Secrets...secrets keep us safe-"  
"Did they keep Party Poison _safe_ ," she shot back, a hint of venom in her words, "And the boys? Are they _safe_ , now?"

The Doctor went quiet. With an exhausted sigh, she shook her head,

"I just want you to be open with me. That's all! Is that really so hard for you to do?"

He shot her a sheepish glance, remaining silent. Biting her lip, she shook her head and turned away, starting back to the complex,

"Then, I guess we can't do this anymore."

She took a few steps, the Doctor clearing his throat,

"I can't promise you no secrets. I can't promise no lies..."

He started toward her as she turned to look at him, hands behind his back,

"What I can promise, Clara Oswald, is that I will never let any harm come to you. _Ever_."

She sighed as he smiled at her,

"And that is a promise I _can_ keep."

They stared at each other a moment, the woman finally letting out a sigh,

"Fine."

She stepped right up to him, swallowing hard,

"But the moment this happens again, it's over. Got it?"

"Yes, absolutely," he nodded in vigour, "Crystal clear!"

With a smile, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, the Doctor smiling as he squeezed her back. Pulling away, she wiped her eyes and cleared her throat,

"So, Space Vegas?"

"Space Vegas, it is."

Holding out his arm, she giggled and took it, letting him lead her to the TARDIS.

"That sounds like a plan," she giggled, straightening as they strolled across the grass,

"Oh, by the way I got a new job!"

"Oh, did you? That's fantastic! What is it?"

"History teacher. Well, I'm on a trial basis. I start in two weeks."

"A history teacher? I didn't know you wanted to be a history teacher."

"Well," she laughed, looking up at him with a grin,

"I've got loads of experience. Be a shame to let it go to waste."

He smiled at that, opening the door for her,

"That it would."

"Say, after Vegas, can we stop by August 28, 1963," she paused upon reaching the doorway,

"I need a good lesson plan for my first day of class."

"We can stop anywhere you like..."

She giggled at that, shrugging with a smirk,

"I know."

Smiling, he shut the door behind them, the TARDIS taking off moments later...

~ø~

_**I am the Bad Wolf.** _

~ø~

_**-California - April - 2035-** _

"Now, it's only gonna be a few hours," the white-haired man said, donning his leather jacket,

"And she's putting him down, now, so he shouldn't be too much trouble."

The dark-haired man smirked, snorting as he glanced up the stairs,

"Oh, you would be _surprised_..."

"Huh?"

Quickly, he shook his head,

"Nothin'."

The white-haired man turned back to the stair well, shouting up to his wife in annoyance,

"C'mon! We're gonna be late for the show!"

_"I'm coming! Don't get your panties in a knot!"_

He turned and left, leaving the dark-haired man standing at the base of the stairs.

Upon hearing a scream, he straightened and barrelled up the steps,

" _Sweet pea!?_ "

He reached the baby's room, his eyes wide. The child was gone...and so was she. Stepping into the room, he glanced at the mobile.

The yellow mask dangling there spun slowly around, and he took it carefully in hand.

He turned as the sound of grinding gravel filled his ears, his eyes wide as they fell upon the statue of an angel standing in the doorway. It blocked his path. With a hard swallow, he shook his head, keeping his eyes on it,

"Can't outrun you forever, I guess."

Snatching the mask off the mobile, he defiantly donned it and took a deep breath,

"Die with your mask on."

He shut his eyes.

~ø~

_**-California - January - 2013-** _

Upon opening them again, he straightened, finding himself in the middle of a battlefield. The Analog Wars. He had been dropped off right in the middle of the Analog Wars. His eyes widened as he heard the sound of beeping from beneath him and he glanced down. A bomb. He was standing on a bomb.

There was a brilliant flash of light...

~ø~

_"I think he's waking up!"_

He groaned as he opened his eyes. The room was foggy and he could barely see. He tried to move, but was unable to. He froze. In fact, he couldn't feel anything from the waist down. Starting to panic, he tried to pull himself up, but a voice soon rang out,

"Don't move, jackass. You'll only hurt yourself worse."

He glanced beside him, his vision becoming clearer by the second. Sitting at his bedside was a young woman with dark hair and doe brown eyes. She offered him a smile,

"The doctors said you wouldn't last the night. You proved them wrong, huh? Guess we should call you _Dr. Death Defying_."

His eyes widened at the sight of her face. He couldn't believe it. She looked exactly like,

" _Clara_...?"

To this the woman snorted, shaking her head,

"Sorry, who?"

He swallowed hard. Her voice sounded different. Her accent was missing.

She held out a hand to him then, her dimples showing prominently as her lips turned up into a smile,

"Name's OsWin. OsWin Oswald. But you can call me _The Operator_."

The dark-haired man frowned at that, and hesitantly took hold of it. She gave it a firm shake, leaning close to his face,

"Welcome to the Killjoys... _Dr. Death Defying_."

~ø~

_**Three Months later...** _

They sat in the van together, watching the monitors closely. There was little to no activity on the front lines. OsWin leaned back, folding her arms with a sigh,

"Well, this sure is boring."

He smiled at that, shaking his head as she continued to moan and groan,

"It doesn't have to be."

Turning to her with a grin on his face, the woman smiled and shook her head,

"Now? You wanna do _that_ , now?"

"You _don't_?"

Narrowing her eyes at him, she finally shrugged and crawled over, climbing on top of him,

"Fair enough."

They spent a few minutes, getting lost each other's touch. She reached down and gripped his thigh, to which he laughed, shaking his head,

"I can't feel that, you know..."

"Oh, you're gonna feel it in a minute..."

She pressed her lips firmly to his, smiling as he ran his hands up her shirt.

Breaking away, she leaned her head against his, sighing softly as he nibbled at her neck,

"Oh, by the way...I should probably tell you," she began, biting her lip with a groan,

"I'm pregnant. It's yours."

The dark-haired man immediately pulled away from her at that, gaping at her with wide eyes,

"What?"

OsWin shrugged, offering a smile,

"I'm pregnant. Thought you should know. Did you really have to stop?"

"H-How...?"

She snorted at that, placing her hands on his shoulders,

"Well, you see. When a boy puts his-"

"No, no," he slapped a hand to his face, shaking his head with a sigh,

"I know _how_...! I mean, how do you _know_!?"

"Seeing as you're the only one I've _fucked_ in the past six months," she shrugged,

"You seem like a pretty good candidate."

"And you're sure? Like _absolutely_ sure?"

The woman shook her head,

"Well, the little test the doctors gave me all said 'yes', but I guess they could be wrong, you know? Seeing as they're _trained, medical professionals_..."

He frowned, shaking his head,

"What...what are you gonna do? You can't be on the front lines, now..."

"Oh, please," she shook her head with a laugh,

"First of all, yes, I can. I'm the best shot we have and those fuckers need me out there."

"But the baby-"

"Will be perfectly fine," OsWin grinned, placing a hand on his cheek,

"She is protected."

Letting out a laugh, he smiled and threw his arms around her, burying his face in her arm.

A sudden shot rang out on the monitor and they both turned, OsWin swallowing hard,

"Well, showtime."

Hopping off his lap, she reached down and grabbed her rifle. Turning to him, she nodded as he, too, grabbed his gun,

"Ready?"

He nodded in return. Throwing open the doors, she hopped out and cocked the rifle,

"Then, look alive, sunshine."

She ran forward, turning her eyes upward as a plane flew over head. Bringing up her wrist, she shouted into her intercom system,

"This is the Operator! Everyone, battle stations! 109 in the sky! I repeat 109 in the sky!"

She ducked behind a rock formation as bullets began flying, grunting as she crouched down low. They fired on her, the onslaught relentless. She cursed,

"These pigs just won't quit...!"

An explosion sounded a few feet away from her and she gasped, burying her face in her arm as dirt and gravel flew up into the air.

Feeling someone grab her wrist, she cursed and opened her eyes. It was a Draculoid. Desperately, she tried to break free, but another one came soon after, ripping the gun from her grasp. She let out an aggravated scream as they pulled her to her feet and began dragging her toward their car.

Hearing her cry, he poked his head out from the van, eyes wide as he spotted them dragging her away. Shaking his head, he quickly grabbed his cane and pulled himself out of the van. He fired a few shots at them, but he found himself unable to maintain his aim. Placing all of his weight on the cane, he did his best to hobble forward, his shots growing more desperate. Finally, one of the Draculoids turned and fired, shooting him in gut. OsWin let out a scream as he fell to the ground, her eyes wide with fear.

They shoved her into the trunk of the car, slamming it shut on top of her. With a grunt of pain, he began to crawl for them, gun still in hand. He fired a few shots, desperately trying to reach her. The car pulled away and he let out a yell, aiming for the tires,

"No...no!"

He missed each time. It soon disappeared into the horizon and he hung his head, tears hitting his eyes as he let out another scream.

_**"Run."** _

Her voice came softly through his ear piece and he swallowed hard, eyes wide,

"OsWin?"

_**"Run you clever boy...and remember me."** _

The signal broke, then, leaving him with only static. Biting his lip, he laid his head on the dirt and closed his eyes.

~ø~

_"Look alive sunshine..."_

- _ **California - June - 2019-**_

"109 in the sky, but the pigs won't quit," he began into his microphone, his sultry voice permeating the airwaves.

Reaching to his right, he took a picture from his desk, gazing at it fondly through dark tinted shades. It was of a young woman with dark hair. She sat on his lap, gun poised at her side as they both made faces at the camera. A smile crossed his lips as he set it down, continuing with his broadcast,

"You're here with me, _Dr. Death Defying_..."

_**I create myself.** _

~ _ **FIN. 2/6/2014**_


End file.
